Amos Camps Out: A Couch Adventure in the Woods

Customer Reviews:

A Keeper for Kids and Adults.......2002-01-21

This is the only book in the 'Amos' series I didn't previously own. After finding it in zShops, I snatched it up immediately. What a find! If you like the 3 other 'Amos' books, you have to have this one, too. It's one of the best. Amos goes camping in the woods with his family (of course they strap his couch to the top of the car) and has quite an adventure. I am a real dog lover, and enjoy ALL the 'Amos' stories. I wish Susan would write another! She writes with the ability to appeal to children - while amusing us adults.

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Offutt turns on the overhead light and throws off the sheet.
High Praise for Chris Offutt
Poetry
voices audible
Flannery, Breece, and Chris: Reference Standards

Out of the Woods: Stories
Chris Offutt
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0684853760

Amazon.com

Out of the Woods starts with one man leaving his Kentucky hollow and ends with another who realizes he can't return. In between, Chris Offutt's broke, lonely, or just plain down-on-their-luck characters find out exactly how difficult it is to go home again, and how equally difficult it is to stop wishing they could. The critically acclaimed author of The Good Brother (a novel), as well as a memoir and a previous collection of stories, Offutt writes with rare honesty, insight, and restraint. "Sometimes I don't think I've done anything to leave my mark in this world. I'm the kind of person the world leaves a mark on," admits the narrator of "Two-Eleven All Around." The same might be said of all Offutt's Appalachian transplants, from the small-town sheriff of "Melungeons," forever marked by the violence and beauty of his mountain upbringing, to the rootless ex-con of "Moscow, Idaho," who wonders "if he'd ever find a woman, a job he liked, or a town he wanted to stay in." These lives are rendered in prose stripped so bare it reads like poetry--and yet is not without its own flinty wit. Given his first glimpse of his brother-in-law's corpse, the protagonist of the title story allows as how "he didn't look dead, but Gerald didn't think he looked too good either. He looked like a man with a bad hangover that he might shake by dinner." These are characters who get inside your head and stories worth reading again and again. As spare and simple as a Shaker chair, Offutt's tales should prove every bit as enduring. --Mary Park

Book Description

Seven years ago, Chris Offutt made his literary debut with Kentucky Straight, a fiercely original collection that earned him not only critical praise but many prestigious awards.

The eight new stories in Out of the Woods mark Offutt's return to the form in which he first displayed his astonishing talent. Offutt, who "draws landscape and constructs dialogue with the eyes and ears of a native son" (The Miami Herald), is on strong home turf here, capturing those who have left the Kentucky hills and long to return. These are stories of gravediggers and drifters, gamblers and truck drivers a long way from home, tales that are so full of hard edges they can't help but tell some hard truths.

Customer Reviews:

Offutt turns on the overhead light and throws off the sheet........2001-12-15

Because I love short stories and Southern writers, I discovered Chris Offutt. Out of the Woods was his first book I read. It won't be the last. His fiction is serious, his characters haunting. Haunting because of the writer's honesty. Offutt turns on the overhead light and throws off the sheet. His protagonist in "Two-Eleven All Around" sums up all of his characters when he ponders, "Sometimes I don't think I've done anything to leave my mark in this world. I'm the kind of person the world leaves a mark on." Offutt has left his mark.

High Praise for Chris Offutt.......2001-01-10

Presently you won't see Chris Offutt's name on any bestseller's list, but please don't let that discourage you from reading his wonderful work. In "Out of the Woods," Offutt follows the lives of ex-cons, alcoholics, gamblers, and drifters as they struggle to find direction and purpose.

Offutt's characters share one common thread, they were all born and raised in Appalachian communities in Kentucky. Reared in a culture in and of itself, these Kentuckians face harsh realities as they try to carve out a path for themselves in mainstream America. Most grapple with a strong desire to get out and see the world yet simultaneously they fight the urge to return to the comfort and security of home. In "Moscow, Idaho," a young prisoner on grave digging duty aims to turn over a new leaf and wonders if he will ever find a woman, a good job, and a town to settle in. "Two-Eleven All Around" is the story of a man who is so desperate for attention from his girlfriend, that he stages his own arrest in hope that she will hear about it while listening to her radio. These tales combine perseverance and heartbreak into poetic prose.

There have been comparisons of Offutt's writing to that of Raymond Carver's. Only in my opinion, Offutt is better. Carver's characters tend to present with a flat affect, but Offutt is able to take the reader subtly and deeply into his characters minds. Chris Offutt excels at what he writes about because he lived the life of his characters. He grew up in a small Appalachian community and at the age of nineteen he meandered across the country where he went through more than fifty jobs before returning to home and raising a family. Chris Offutt has come full circle and there is no doubt that he will find himself a place in the world of literature.

Poetry.......2000-05-11

This book of stories rivals Denis johnson's Jesus' Son as oneof the most compelling books of stories written in the last decade.Economically written and darkly funny, not one word is wasted. And the landscapes are etched with a painter's flare for light and form. I've read Mr. Offut's novel and memoir and they are very good. But this book is truly original, an example of how much promise the short story as a significant art form in 2000 and beyond.

voices audible.......2000-04-02

Ain't no such thing as a perfect story no matter how masterful the crafter is. That's what art is, I guess. It's the "imperfections" - maybe the particularities, the quirks and indiosicracies - which strick you in that very personal way like the writer is writing for you and you want to shake the hand which wrote that tale, which made your life a little better just now and you really want to say - thanks! After awhile, if the work is good, you don't feel like you're reading some book. This guy, Offut, is actually a very ordinary proser. It seems. Seemingly, not that much extraordinary stuff is going on. No sense of immediate beauty or anything like that. He writes as if he's one with the tale being told. There's this intimacy here, OUT OF THE WOODS, like you don't get in many places. He honors - people, life, words, and the putting together of. That's what I think. Some phrases jump at you with a real live human voice. ("I'm going with Jack," she said. "I'm sorry." - in TOUGH PEOPLE) ("What the f--- do you want?" - in TWO-ELEVEN ALL AROUND) I've been keeping these sentences in me for awhile and as corny as this sounds, they make me want to be a better person.

Flannery, Breece, and Chris: Reference Standards.......1999-08-20

There's only a few writers that I hold as examples of what the art should be, and Chris is one of 'em.

Blazing a new trail out of the woods for the handicapped: My sister's story

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PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

Blazing a new trail out of the woods for the handicapped: My sister's story
Marthene Browning Kohlmeyer
Manufacturer: Vantage Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Customer Reviews:

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.......2003-06-17

This book is a recount of the impact that a mentally challenged child has upon other family members. It is a wonderful and honest story about achievement and happiness and illustrates what can be accomplished with love and hard work.

I happen to be the author of this book, so I have first hand experience what it is like to be the sister of a mentally retarded child. Many years have passed since our childhood and Sue and I are now in our sixties, but our God has been very good to us as we both enjoy excellent health and happiness. Sue is living independently and totally loves it. She helps older citizens in her apartment with their trash carry out and they pay her $1.00 for each time she helps them.

Product Description

Eight short stories about Kentucky, with grave diggers, gamblers, truck drivers etc.

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Playing Out of the Deep Woods: Stories
G. W. Hawkes
Manufacturer: Univ of Missouri Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Maitland in theater, not court, but still great!

Put Out the Light
Sara Woods
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0312657021

Customer Reviews:

Maitland in theater, not court, but still great!.......2003-10-03

Anthony Maitland's good friend, Jeremy Skelton, decides to produce a restoration play by Sir John Cartwright. Another good friend, Meg Hamilton, is set to star. But before opening night, a series of mysterious warnings, ghostly voices, and accidents, has half the cast believing that the playwright's ghost is opposed to the play. When one of the actors breaks his leg and another is nearly gassed, Meg and Jeremy ask Anthony to investigate. But even Maitland is too late to prevent a murder. The question is, who want to stop the play badly enough that they are willing to kill?

I really liked this book. I found it at a library sale and I was very excited because it's one I hadn't read before. I really like Woods' books and I wish they were in print. It's not the best, but it's still really good. If you can find a copy, it's worth buying.

Book Description

Damon Farr, a war-weary cavalry colonel in search of peace and quiet, acquires a good deal more when he employs as his secretary Katy Snow, the mute housemaid his family took in off the street years earlier.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting premise crippled by lingering plot.......2005-07-28

Twelve-year-old Katy Snow was a bedraggled waif when she arrived at Damon Farr's door. His servants took the silent girl under their wing, and shortly after, Damon went rushing off to war. Duty called.

Six years later, he returns a changed man. His mother's companion is an angelic girl of 18... who he barely remembers from the night his servants took her in. Katy is mute, and her background is a mystery. Even though he knows nothing about her, and she is likely a lowborn female, he finds himself drawn to her.

In my opinion, there are three things that make a good book: good writing, a good premise, and good storytelling. "Lady Silence" has the first two, but lacks the latter. The book starts interestingly enough, but loses momentum quickly. By the middle of the book, I was forcing myself to continue, if only to unlock the truth about Katy's identity.

Still, I'd have to say this is the most interesting of Blair Bancroft's novels. She's my no means my favorite Regency author, but she's not my least favorite either. She's middle of the road--a solid three stars.

Lady Silence.......2005-07-19

One wretched night, a pre-teen waif stumbles into the Farr estate,seeking shelter. The girl appears to be completey mute, but the servants quickly realize that that does not make her "dumb" in the negative sense. Their master agrees, rather dismissively, to let her stay, he's about to go off to war, and really has larger concerns than the welfare of a mute child. Six years later, Damon Farr returns to find the girl, Katy Snow, is still mute, but she has blossomed, becoming an intregal part of his family's life. He has no idea that Katy hides a secret that will turn their lives upside down in the days to come.

*** Thought rather far fetched, no pun intended, this story is built on an intriguing concept with a fairy tale like tone and sweetness that carries broad appeal. As it is more fraught with grammatica historical language than some recent books of the genre, newer Regency fans might find it helpful to locate a lexicon of the era before reading. ***

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore, Freelance Reviewer.

Where is Our Hero?.......2005-07-13

Having completed a second book of Bancroft's, I find her writing and detail captivating; however, the romance in her books with her protagonists is mediocre.

I think Bancroft has simply not found the right genre for her talents. If proceeding books will be as Lady Silence and The Harem Bride, readers will find second-rate love stories because there never seems to be believable development of feeling between our main characters.

As for the heading of this review, I find myself unable to call any of the male protagonists in Bancroft's books classified as 'hero.' In Lady Silence, Damon (much like Justin in Harem Bride) is quick to blame others childishly for his own faults and is slow to take actions with responsibility. **spoiler**And when -- finally, Katy's mystery begins to unfold, he actually encourages his army friends to "see how far she will go" and they attempt rape at which point Katy screams and her "secret" is found out that she can speak. What kind of hero would encourage his friends -- drunk or sober -- to attack a lady's companion? Very badly done, I think, and Damon barely redeemed himself in the end.

A medicore love story at best with a mute heroine to mix up the monotony receives a mediocre 3 star rating.

My recommendations: "Miss Dornton's Hero" Elizabeth Fairchild, where readers are sure to enjoy the hero and his heroine.

Original - Very, very Nice!.......2005-07-09

Setting - Wiltshire, England 1809 - The young 12-year-old waif looked like something the cat dragged in. She did not speak - not so much as a whimper, or a word. They named her Katy Snow, so called Katy for something the cat dragged in, and Snow, for the storm that swirled around her the night she arrived. Young master Damon Farr, at twenty-two was being deployed that morning to fight the war and when asked by his staff, agreed for the servants to take her in and make her useful.

It was a different Damon Farr that returned home six years later - gone was the callow youth thinking war nothing more that a walk in the woods, in its place was a hardened soldier that wanted only to return to the safety and welcoming warmth of his home at Farr Park. The peace he sought would not be forthcoming when he realized that the young mute child he'd left six years earlier had turned into an incomparably beautiful young woman who now appeared to have been adopted as a permanent household member by his mother and household staff. Damon was determined to discover what she was up to, and prove that her silence was a sham. In the process, Katy who'd lost her heart to the master six years ago, did her best to earn his trust, knowing that in giving up her secrets Damon would be forced to send her away. While Damon's mind worked to unmask the little imposter as a devil or angel, in his heart knew he could never let her go.

*** This was a very nice original regency sporting a lovely little mystery, engaging characters that will very easily worm their way into the reader's heart and some creative dialogs especially when one considers that the heroine does not speak! I've observed that reading the more traditional regencies can be entertaining without resorting to physical intimacy especially when the latest trend seems to be the more sensual the better. This latest entry by a newer author is both refreshing and unique and one cannot go wrong in selecting this book to take along to the shore, the backyard or to an easy chair by the fire for a most enjoyable reading experience. --- Marilyn, for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

5 Titles By Wisdom - No More Secrets - In Memory's Shadow - Lady's Choice - O'Malley's Quest - Code of Silence

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5 Titles By Wisdom - No More Secrets - In Memory's Shadow - Lady's Choice - O'Malley's Quest - Code of Silence
Linda Randall Wisdom
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000QJDM0A

Product Description

Multiple books shipped as one item. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.

Her silence speaks;: Timely reflections on the seven words of Our Lady,

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Her silence speaks;: Timely reflections on the seven words of Our Lady,
John Stanislaus Middleton
Manufacturer: P.J. Kenedy & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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The Ladies Aren't for Silence

Manufacturer: Paternoster Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0850092345

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Les silences de Lady Di
Guy Croussy
Manufacturer: Denoel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

French | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 2207238547

Rocky Mountain Men : Code of Silence; Silver Lady; Touch the Sky

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Rocky Mountain Men : Code of Silence; Silver Lady; Touch the Sky
Debbi; Wisdom, Linda R.; Erickson, Lynn Bedford
Manufacturer: Harlequin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OWWZJI

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Songs to Our Lady of Silence
Eric Gill
Manufacturer: S. Dominic's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00087PQ54

La dama de los silencios. (Margarita Mariscal, ministra de gobierno; España)(TT: The lady of silence) (TA: Margarita Mariscal, government minister; Spain): An article from: Epoca

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La dama de los silencios. (Margarita Mariscal, ministra de gobierno; España)(TT: The lady of silence) (TA: Margarita Mariscal, government minister; Spain): An article from: Epoca
Carmen Remirez de Ganuza
Manufacturer: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00096QKZE
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Epoca, published by Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA) on December 2, 1996. The length of the article is 3253 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: La dama de los silencios. (Margarita Mariscal, ministra de gobierno; España)(TT: The lady of silence) (TA: Margarita Mariscal, government minister; Spain)
Author: Carmen Remirez de Ganuza
Publication: Epoca (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 2, 1996
Publisher: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
Issue: n614 Page: p12(5)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Lady of silences.: An article from: Wind Speaker

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Lady of silences.: An article from: Wind Speaker

Manufacturer: Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00098DKEQ
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Wind Speaker, published by Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA) on December 1, 1998. The length of the article is 911 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Lady of silences.
Publication: Wind Speaker (Newsletter)
Date: December 1, 1998
Publisher: Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA)
Volume: 16 Issue: 8 Page: 13

Article Type: Theater Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Fatima: A shrine of luminous silence
Anthony Mascarenhas
Manufacturer: EdicÌ§oÌes F. Mas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007KE928

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Good but confusing

A great introspective look at the Wingman

A Masterpiece of Twists and Turns

Wonderful Twist

A splendid time is guaranteed for all

Starhawk 4: Battle at Zero Point (Starhawk)
Mack Maloney
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Starhawk (#5): Storm Over Saturn (Starhawk)

Starhawk (#3): The Fourth Empire (Starhawk, 3)

Planet America (Starhawk, No. 2)

Starhwak 1 (Starhawk)

Superhawks - Strike Force Delta (Superhawks)

ASIN: 0441010962
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Book Description

FOURTH in the new series from the author of the WINGMAN novels and the CHOPPER OPS series.

The year is 7202 A.D., and man of mystery, gifted military strategist, superb pilot, and charismatic leader Hawk Hunter finds himself alone during a clash with Imperial forces that could destroy the entire galaxy.

Customer Reviews:

Good but confusing.......2004-01-28

Ok the book was good but in my opinion by far not the best one of the series. All this entire book does is open up tons more questions as well as kill off all the main people. I have never seen the wingman series and was reading this as a stand alone series. I quite liked the series up untill this book but this book confused me. He opened up all kinds of questions in the third book then in the fourth book he ignores them and takes another approach. But in all a good book

A great introspective look at the Wingman.......2003-12-21

Once again the Wingman is fighting for good. This time in the biggest way yet. From the cockpit of his spacefaring F-16, Hawk Hunter once again takes to the skies in another stand for freedom. We get to see how much freedom means to the Wingman. Check it out.

A Masterpiece of Twists and Turns.......2003-10-29

Unlike the other Starhawk books, Battle at Zero Point is a major twist and a powerful piece of literature. Battles of the most Biblical proportions with each character finding their own meaning in the universe. Mack Maloney put a major spin in this book that was excitingly surprising. I hope his next book comes out soon; ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE AUTHORS!!!! Be sure to read the entire Wingman and Starhawk series, they are some of the best action books ever written. Collect them all ;) I know I have.

Wonderful Twist.......2003-09-12

I realy enjoyed this book. The story line was a wonderful way to clean up all the loose ends from the previous books. I hope the next book comes out soon to finish the story line. A must read for all wingman fans!!!!!!! keep going Mack!!

A splendid time is guaranteed for all.......2003-09-11

In which, after all these years of fighting foes and their minions, Hawk Hunter finally goes after Mr. Big!

No, it's not Saddam. Nor is it Osama! It's neither right-wing, neo-fascist Canal Nazis, nor Communists who have used the Vice-President to allow a nuclear attack on the USA. It's not goateed evil-doers who transmogrify into your best buddy who, himself, becomes that self-same repository of evil. It's not unreconstructed North Vietnamese with issues. It's not overweight Arab or Asian despots. It's not an extra-governmental group intent on time travel for purposes unknown.

This time, it's evil with a capital E-V-I-L.

Get the picture?

Yes, you are correct, sir or madam! 'Battle at Zero Point' has Hawk Hunter (yeah, among other stuff he remembers who he is) fighting Satan!

In this, the fourth installment of 'Starhawk', the previously somewhat tenuous linkage to the 'Wingman' series is solidified with our hero's education and revelation that his role in the greater scheme of things is that of transformational symbol of freedom.

And, as they say, getting there is half the fun. In battling the Fourth Empire - a dictatorship whose origins are in a curious one-shot reference to the virtually DOA 'Chopper Ops' series - Hawk is faced with a three-part challenge that takes on aspects of 'The Last Temptation of Christ'.

Fundamental to all this, however, if the question: what is freedom worth to you?

And, the answer for Hawk - and maybe for all of us - is, and has to be, that's it's worth everything.

Maloney's wriitng (yeah, once again check the copyright..is that the author's real monicker?) is vastly improved from the start of all this. Once more the soft core porno is down; it's more or less non-existent.

In fact, the series has turned into the (darn) fine fantasy seres that - to this reveiwer's mind - is quite a bit better than Harry Turtledove's output.

So, my friends, buy it and enjoy!

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Distractions In Prayer: Blessing Or Curse?
Vilma Seelaus
Manufacturer: St Pauls Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Inspirational | Catholicism | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Prayer | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0818909854

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