Book Description
College student Bec is self-conscious of her aimless life; she has fallen into an affair with a married professor and a major she has no interest in. In a half-hearted effort to redeem herself, she answers an ad for a caregiver and finds herself employed by Kate, a wealthy, happily married woman with ALS (Lou Gehrigs disease). Their relationship develops into a surprising intimacy, and as she observes the implacable changes in Kate her own life takes shape in ways she didnt anticipate. Vibrant and sensuous, this is a fiercely unsentimental yet poignant novel.
Customer Reviews:
A touching, fast read........2007-09-17
This book was very moving and very well written. I didn't want to put it down. While the subject of the book is not a happy one, the author mixed in some humor & kept it real. It was interesting to see the characters grow & learn from their relationship with one another.
All she wrote.......2007-09-04
This book started out with promise, but by the time I got 30 or 40 pages into it I stopped forgiving the problems with it. The writing couldn't be described as "deeply sensual" either unless they were referring to a couple meal descriptions, which are available on plenty of menus. Mainly, the story, nor the characters, were believable to me. Many of the "extras" in the book seem to be thrown in as page fillers. I didn't feel anything for the characters, except maybe annoyance..with the author too for that matter. And PS Miss Wildgen, 45-year old women aren't old ladies with white streaks through their hair!
Recommended Read from a First-time Novelist.......2007-08-12
When Bec, a 21-old Madison, Wisconsin college student decides to change her part-time job from bartending at a local greasy spoon restaurant she has no idea how much her life will change or how much her charge will influence her.
Sophisticated 36-year-old Kate Norris has had ALS aka amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease for two years. Happily married she to husband Evan, she is wheelchair-bound and literally unable to do anything for herself. Her speech is even getting so bad that it difficult for her to be understood by anyone other than those very close to her. Bec literally has to do everything for her from bathing her to toileting her to putting her makeup on. As the months go by Kate, a former gourmet cook who is unable to eat by mouth due to her condition, teaches Bec to make the meals she used to love. Meanwhile, Kate's marriage deteriorates and when she and Evan separate, Bec is called upon to perform even more caretaking duties.
The life of caretaker and patient are vividly portrayed in this novel, by first-time novelist Michelle Wildgen (who has done essays and food writing, editing a couple of books of food related essays). While it is void of a heavy plot, what is at stake here is more gripping than a thrilling page-turner. Bec goes from carefree college student having an affair with a married instructor, to more sophisticated young woman who grows in more ways than one from her experiences with Kate.
This book was a New York Times Editor's Choice and was selected as one of People Magazines Top 10 books of 2006. And while I was expecting perhaps a bit more, I did end up enjoying the book overall. I give it a solid B and look forward to this author's next effort.
An astoundingly beautiful first novel.......2007-06-28
Oh, You're Not You, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love the intricate shape of the characters - they grow and change in the most surprising ways, even within situations that can't be changed. I love the unsentimental way Wildgen tells her story, these are real people handling a situation that requires enormous courage - less than courageously. I love the way I felt uplifted, not depressed at the end. I simply don't understand the reviewers who claim this is "inaccurate" - first of all, this is a NOVEL. If you want detailed reality, buy a non-fiction book. But if you are looking for a gripping and intelligent novel, written with elegance, style, and wit - then check this one out. This is a writer of rare talent, and I wanted to read this book over and over again, and I bet you will too.
Excellent! Riveting!.......2007-06-13
I am a private duty caregiver/nurse. The details in this book are so real. As I read this novel, I felt that I was actually there. It is so true to life, it was almost scary! I was truly captivated by this book. I hope that she writes another just like it.
Thanks!
Kathy Turfle
Customer Reviews:
A great help but use it wisely.......2007-08-01
Doreen has never been a confident public speaker but last summer she was faced with the daunting challenge of delivering a speech in a local debate. 'This house believes that prostitution should be legalised' was never going to be an easy motion to put to a Christian faith-group. Apparently she surmised that the only chance to get the audience on her side would be through the use of humour. Not a bad idea, I'll warrant, but Doreen (physical characteristics aside) has never been a particularly funny woman. I bought this excellent guidebook to help out but sadly I think she failed to exploit its full potential. If she had even glanced over the explanations of word-play, misdirection and irony then it certainly didn't come across. Rather, I believe that she followed in the footsteps of Roy 'Chubby' Brown and confined her research to one particular facet of comedy.
Well, I don't think even Doreen had intended on turning the air quite so blue, but the warm-up gin and tonics went far beyond being a 'calming influence'. I fear that she was egged-on even further by vocal support from the elderly Mrs. Dewhurst. These isolated plaudits were probably not the best way to gauge the sentiment of the room, if one considers that Mrs Dewhurst tends to punctuate even the most leisurely of Sunday sermons with equally raucous cheers. Needless to say, the speech was not met with universal acclaim. Still, technically the debate can't be chalked up as a loss. The melee that broke out (after a gag that would have made Ron Jeremy blush) ended any chances of a civil vote being held.
Do you Speak? Do you Write?.......2007-05-08
...then you should own this book.
The Comic Toolbox reveals the method to the madness of humor. And you'll find immediate applications to anything you create; verbally, visually or in print.
Excellent book for story tellers.......2007-04-26
Breaks down all the elements of not just a comedy story, but for any story. Makes it easy to come up with an interesting dynamic between characters and the plot.
If you are looking for something to help you be funny with friends, or to tell jokes, the concepts can still be applied, but you'd have to keep your friends there long enough for you to build up a funny story.
Worth the money
Highly Recommended.......2006-08-09
As a professional screenwriter and teacher of screenwriting, I can testify that this book offers loads of invaluable advice and wisdom about writing comedy. But as an added bonus, it will help you write almost any kind of screenplay. A treasured addition to my shelf of how-to books.
Real tools to build funny.......2006-05-31
Finally, a book that offers real tools and exercises to help you write humor. After you get the basics, John Vorhaus helps you understand what makes it funny and what slows it down and shows you how to get the laugh instead of just head nods because they reaize you are ironic. I highly reccomend this book for anyone looking to write humor on demand. I would love to see John write a book focused on the Comic Strip and similar short form humor.
Book Description
"Blum is a superb writer." --Feminist Bookstore News
Put together 20 million frozen sperm, two funny women, and one impoverished stretch of Appalachia and what do you get? A wise and celebratory tale by Louise A. Blum, author of the critically acclaimed novel, Amnesty, who now uses her razor wit and deft precision to tell the story of her own life. With the help of a tiny sperm vial they call "Dad," she and her partner decide to have a child, unleashing a storm of controversy in their small town. From a glowing feature article in the family section of a local newspaper to the resulting prayer vigils on the village green, the town responds in radically different ways to their presence. A depiction of small-town life with all its comforts and its terrors, this memoir will speak to anyone who's ever felt like an outsider in America.
BACKC0VER: "Blum's first novel, Amnesty, [was] a lesbian coming-out tale, but what distinguishes it from a tide of sister books is Blum's poised prose, trained on detail and pleasingly free of breast beating." --Village Voice
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Book.......2005-08-11
I read Ms. Blum's book for a Sociology class. I actually started reading it before hand on the recommendation of a friend. I must say that this book is amazing. Ir gives you a view of gay life away from the normal booze drugs and sex. Also Ms. Blum is extremely witty. She is brutally honest about her pregnancy and the troubles it caused her! She also talks in DEPTH about the birth of her daughter. Though I thought some of the sex scenes were too graphic other than that I thought this book to be an amazing read!
One book...so many emotions!.......2005-07-08
I hope my review isn't seen as less credible because of this, but I know Louise, her wife, and their amazing daughter. She attended a summer camp where I was a counselor and I have to say that she's the most self-actualized individual I have ever known. She's an amazing person, due in no small part to what her moms have gone through in bringing her into the world. :)
I'd been wanting to read this book for quite a while once I realized it was out there. I was amazed at how this slim volume brought such a myriad of emotions to the surface. One minute I was laughing, the next minute I was so sad, then I was angry and militant, then disgusted at the evil of some people, then comforted by the love that Connie and Louise obviously share. It's a great book...with a wonderful, frank, conversational style that doesn't hide the facts, but doesn't spare the rich details. You feel like you are right there with them. The dialogue is honest and fleshed out very well. No small wonder, considering Louise's writing abilities!
Whether you are gay or straight, consider reading this book. It will help you understand how hard it is to be gay and how wonderful it is as well. And hopefully, it might make you see that it doesn't matter what sexual orientation parents have...just that they truly love and want their children. :)
Great Read.......2004-06-15
Louise Blum has given us a book that will make you laugh at the outrageous behavior of "decent" people, will make you cry for her struggle to be accepted on her own terms, make you ache with her yearning and cheer for her triumph. Whether you love women or men, the love story touches your heart. But mostly, this book is glaringly honest and doesn't shy from truth on any front. I loved it!
Must have read for Lesbian Moms-to-be.......2002-12-04
I picked up this book while wondering aimlessly through the aisle at the local library. I thought it would be something to pass the time. Needless the say, the book draws you in, makes you laugh, cry and get angry, all while thinking to yourself "I've been there before". I truly enjoyed the book and would gladly recommend it to all women, whether you are a lesbian or not.
Really a great book.......2001-06-16
I was a student at the university where Ms. Blum taught while she was pregnant. Working in the book business, I stumbled upon an advertisement for this title in the publishers' catalog. (Of all catalogs to accidentally be placed in my mailbox, of all the pages the catalog could have opened to when it fell out of my mailbox, and of all the things that usually distract me from noticing a name I found familiar - it's a wonder all the pieces fell in place.) Anyway, I immediately ordered the book - if for no other reason than for the fact that it intertwined with my personal history with the university and the Pennsylvania towns she writes about. But I think the book is more than a piece of history. Her words are fluid and poetic. I gobbled up the chapters as if it were chocolate-y fiction, sneaking it in between breaks at work. It speaks to me as a woman, as a "non-traditional" worshipper of religious faith, and as someone who hopes to have her own children someday. I would, and have, recommended this memoir to many people.
Average customer rating:
- I Love It
- You've Still Got It, Charles M. Schulz
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You're Not Alone, Charlie Brown
Charles M. Schulz
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Lead On, Snoopy
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It's Great to Be a Superstar (Peanuts Classics)
ASIN: 0449220222
Release Date: 1992-08-23 |
Book Description
More collected cartoons featuring America's favorite and funniest kids: Peanuts!
Customer Reviews:
I Love It.......2001-07-05
More great comics. These are treasures and I just love them. When it seems like the world has got you down pull this volume out and just smile. That's something they can't take away from you. We have many thoughts we want to keep forever. This book in some way in some how never lets those memories die.
You've Still Got It, Charles M. Schulz.......2000-07-24
As one of the last books in this popular series (that ran for five decades), You're Not Alone, Charlie Brown has all of the profound wit and general silliness generations have come to expect from the late Mr. Schulz. For anyone who grew up reading this wonderful line of Fawcett paperbacks, this one will not disappoint and is a fine way to remember the life and accomplishment of a great man. Over the years, the books in this series have become collectable but it's impossible to put a value on the Peanuts gang. Don't get this one because it's a collectable. Don't buy it for Mr. Schulz. But it and enjoy it for yourself and your remembered youth. "Good Grief", you're still the greatest Charlie Brown!
Book Description
Colonel Jake McAllister doesn't doubt that Maura Phillips has the qualifications and the know-how to handle a spot on his all-male, high-tech team at Elgin Air Force Base. As the test pilot in charge of top secret stealth weapons development, he's more worried about what's going to happen when her "free spirit" is introduced into the project's touchy pressure-cooker environment.
He'd been expecting to meet a buttoned-down engineer in a severe blue suit, which is why he's not exactly sure what to make of the leggy California girl with riotous curls, funky clothes and clunky jewelry who comes flying through his door. He soon concludes the lady is deadly serious about her job-and a deadly threat to his self-control.
Customer Reviews:
reprint of two excellent military romantic suspense tales.......2005-03-05
"One of the Boys". At Eglin AFB, Florida, test manager Maura Phillips is attracted to uptight Deputy Commander for Operations Colonel Jake McAllister. He reciprocates as he wants the free spirited civilian. They go out on a date, but regret that the other is not right for them. When a test that Maura analyzed almost resulted in a tragedy, the military wonder whether the flaky Californian is a serious risk. Jake knows she is compassionate about her work and the safety of the crews; he plans to prove her innocence even as they fall in love encouraged by his fifteen year old daughter.
"Maggie and her Colonel". At Eglin AFB, Armament Division Commander Colonel Alastair MacRae is irate with the new civilian Chief of Environmental Engineering. Dr. Maggie Westscott explains why she rejected his team's test proposal. Mac asks Maggie to help his team revise the test parameters to meet her environmental concerns. As they work together on the project, they fall in love. When a colleague accuses Maggie of sabotaging a test to help her former company gain a contractor's edge, she wonders what her Colonel believes.
ONE OF THE BOYS is a rewrite a fine military romantic suspense (BITS AND PIECES) that includes the impact of the Global War on Terrorism on domestic bases since the original novel was published. The story line is fresh and tense starring two opposites. MAGGIE AND THE COLONEL is a bonus tale from around the same time frame, but not updated with the GWOT impact. Still this remains an insightful look at military life as only retired officer like Merline Lovelace could provide. Fans of military romantic suspense will enjoy the two stops at Eglin AFB.
Harriet Klausner
Average customer rating:
- Much More Than I Expected
- Fun, enlightening, creative and useful.
- Loved it.....
- don't miss this
- Must Read
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How to Build a Space Station
R. B. Hewertson
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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ASIN: 1401049753 |
Customer Reviews:
Much More Than I Expected.......2002-08-01
Everyone has been in a work situation that just didn't feel right and this book seems to have its finger on some reasons why. With the present issues of poor business ethics, I think that this book is important, if not essential. I have yet to read a book that gives such a clear and entertaining picture of why people, relationships and ethics are the most essential piece to running a quality business or organization. I hope that this book finds its way into the hands of supervisors and business owners around the country.
Fun, enlightening, creative and useful........2002-07-29
This gem of a book is fun, enlightening, creative and usefull, all within less than 100 pages. Anyone who works with teams or in different meeting situations will relate immediately to the deft description of the two competitive situations as outlined by the author. Seeing how easily a postive situation can disintegrate and witnessing its opposite occuring brings clarity to both.
It is an easy read, provides a perfect beginning for any leader who wishes to stimulate his or her team into thinking about what it takes to build a truly high performing team.
Loved it............2002-07-23
A quick read that gets its message across in a unique, delightful way. Quite enjoyable!
don't miss this.......2002-05-11
Finally a book that hits the mark. This book is for anyone who needs inspiration in their working life. It addresses readers at a level beyond professional development jargon and connects with them directly at the heart. I instantly recognized the characters in this book as co-workers I deal with. It gave me a fresh perspective and a new way of defining what I need to find for a satisfying life at work.
I liked the story and the wisdom. Read this book and I guarantee you will enjoy and remember it. Congratualtions to the author.
Must Read.......2002-05-11
This is a wonderful short parable that deals with the realities of the work place; a work enviroment and our day to day lives. It is easy to read, enjoyable and gives the reader a perspective of being there and realizing the real differance behaviors can make. I would recommend this book highly for anyone who works!!
This is going to become a NY Times Best seller.
I hope to see this soon in our local bookstores.
Book Description
Why Lazarus Laughed explicates the essential doctrine shared by the traditions of Zen Buddhism, Advaita, and Tantra. Wei Wu Wei has become an underground spiritual favorite whose fans anxiously await each reissued book.
Customer Reviews:
Powerfully Stilling.......2004-10-11
This book is another gem from Wei Wu Wei. It is a fine collection of Zen Advaita and Tantra. It is a must have for anyone interested in the nature of THAT beyond the words or concepts.
A Must Read.......2004-04-14
"Man is a river...never the same for two consecutive seconds" says Wei Wu Wei in this collection of enlightening essays. Packed with insights and encouragement, every page of this book has something to offer. Why Lazarus Laughed focuses on what Zen, Advaita, and Tantra have in common; what essential doctrines they share. This focus provides a refreshing look at the common questions that we all share as human beings and gives us the inspiration we need to continue on our own personal journey of understanding. Wei Wu Wei helps us come to terms with and accept the inherent uncertainty in our uncertain world. Anyone needing inspiration on their search towards self-discovery should be sure to read this book at least twice!
Books:
- 1,001 Ways to Make More Money as a Speaker, Consultant or Trainer: Plus 300 Rainmaking Strategies for Dry Times
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- All This Heavenly Glory
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- Bret Harte's Gold Rush: Outcasts of Poker Flat, the Luck of Roaring Camp, Tennessee's Partner, & Other Favorites
- Brown Sugar 2: Great One Night Stands - A Collection of Erotic Black Fiction
- By Night in Chile
- CCEL Classics CD: works by Saint Augustine, John Calvin, John Donne, Julian of Norwich, Brother Lawrence, Martin Luther, Saint Teresa of Avila, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas a Kempis, John Wesley, and more!
- Clara Callan: A Novel
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