El Mayor De Mis Defectos

Book Description

A bittersweet tale of puppy love, tragedy, and aspirations of pop-star fame. A spark of hope ignites to a blaze in twelve-year-old Mitsuki Koyama's life when a comical pair of magical beings appears to prove to her that dreams really do come true.

Young Mitsuki loves singing and dreams of becoming a pop star. Unfortunately, a malignant tumor in her throat prevents her from pursuing her passion. However, her life turns around when two surprisingly fun-loving harbingers of death appear to grant Mitsuki a temporary reprieve from her illness and give her singing career a magical push start.

Customer Reviews:

Full Moon wo Sagashite.......2007-05-23

This is one pf the greatest mangas I've ever read! There are other reviews that give you the whole story line so I'll just say the minimun. This story features 12-year-old Mitsuki Kouyama. Mitsuki has a tumor in her throat, there is an operation that could save her life, but she refuses to go through with it because if she did she would lose her voice and that wouldn't do because it is her dream to become a singer. One day, two shinigami, Takuto and Meroko, show up at her house. All three of them being shocked because Mitsuki can see them, for some strange reason, and they tell her that she will only live for one more year. The shinigami Takuto, promises that he will help her with her dream and turns her into a healthy 16-year-old. And so, Mitsuki is thrown into the chaotic world of stardom. As I said before, this is a truly wonderful manga with 7 volumes total. You will not be disappointed with this series! The rest of the books are just as good, in some cases better, than the first. They go into detail about Eichi, Meroko's past, Izumi (a shinigami who is introduced later), and Takuto's feelings for Mitsuki. You would be completely satisfied if you purchased this series.

The best!.......2006-08-12

This is the best manga in the world! A great tear jerker, and bound to wisk you to the world of pain - but also love that you're BOUND to love!

best manga ever!.......2006-07-05

i really like this manga, its my fav. manga by far!^_^ when i started reading this series i was drawn in by the cute pix but by the time i finished the 1st book i was hooked!^_^ my fav. out of all the books out is book 5. when i read book 6 though, it was sort of a let down cause if mitsuki dies then it'd be a really sucky ending... anyways, i love this whole series & kamikaze kaitou jeanne & i encourage manga fans 2 buy this!^_^lol

The most amazing thing ever!!.......2006-05-20

When I saw a little picture of one of the main characters(Takuto), I was like "Hey! Kitty ears and wings!!" I asked my friend about it and she said she had the manga! Not only will you be hooked on the characters designs(which are awesome!!), you will also have a great time learning more about each character!

At first you may think that it's a cheesy story-line. A girl meets shinigami, she has sarcoma and cant sing so they turn her into a pop super star and she gets tons and tons of fans. NO. NONONO. Do NOT think like that. The depth of the story line and the connections between the characters are great.

This is the BEST manga and the BEST anime I have ever seen/ read. A must get for any shojo lover!!!!

Awesome!!!.......2006-04-23

I first picked up this book while browsing in a bookstore. Not knowing what to expect, I thought that the summary on the back of the book sounded cute, so I bought it. I read the whole thing in one day, I just couldn't put it down! So the very next day I bought the next two volumes! [hah] I highly recommend this manga! Especially if you love shojo!

Average customer rating:

What an intriguing concept!

Better than you'd think from reading the back cover

One of Zahn's sharpest novels yet

Truely a masterpiece

Jupiter Sky Captain

Manta's Gift
Timothy Zahn
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Angelmass

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The Cobra Trilogy

ASIN: 081258032X

Book Description

When Matt Raimey had his accident, he thought his life was over. He never dreamed, in his wildest fantasies, that he'd end up in a spot like this. In the toxic atmosphere of Jupiter, born into the body of an enormous creature that looked like a cross between a manta ray and a dolphin, he is living a new life, unlike any humankind had previously experienced.An unbelievable turn of events, it gave him a reason to live, to survive, no matter what happened . . . but every second chance comes with conditions and responsibilities. And as those who brought him to this strange destiny have their authority stripped from them and he discovers the truth that only he can know about the giant alien creatures he now calls family, this man reborn as the one they now call Manta suddenly isn't sure he wasn't better off before. . . .

Customer Reviews:

What an intriguing concept!.......2006-09-14

This yarn reminds me of something I read in Carl Sagan's Cosmos book about hypothetical life-forms that could possibly exist in the atmosphere of a gas giant planet. This story goes even deeper into the 'what if' of such an idea. Zahn's writing is fast-paced, and the complexities of the plot make this a real page-turner. When I bought the book I wondered how dramatic life could be in a herd where all the creatures seem to do is eat, sleep, mate, and fight off predators. But this author has woven so many hidden agendas into this story, mostly surrounding the Qanska's interaction with Manta and his with the humans that you're kept guessing about what's going on right up to the last minute.

Better than you'd think from reading the back cover.......2006-02-09

I picked up this one at a used book sale at the local library for next to nothing... not because reading the back cover (or the front cover for that matter) grabbed my attention (because they most certainly did NOT), but becuase I knew Timothy Zahn from his work on the Star Wars "Heir to the Empire" trilogy and had really enjoyed his writing. Turns out, it was a very good pickup that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

Unlike a lot of contemporary sci-fi, this one actually DOES make an effort at including science into the fiction, and Zahn does incorporate several creative and thought provoking ideas and concepts into the life and ecology of the Jupiter that he creates.... (as odd and implausible as some of those ideas and "science" may be, they should at least make the reader step back and say 'hmmm, interesting'). Zahn succeeds in giving his story an "old school" sci-fi feel to it that a lot of newer entries into the genre seem to be lacking.

For all the science and creativity though, the story really succeeds becuase the characters are interesting and sympathetic, the plot is fast paced and exciting, the book is not easy to "figure out" 200 pages before the finish (i.e. there is suspense), and the writing is sharp and clear. This one MORE than met my expectations, and I'll be hitting more of Zahn's work when the next opportunity presents itself. In my opinion at least, that's pretty high praise for an author, and this book was well worth the read.

One of Zahn's sharpest novels yet.......2005-03-18

I've enjoyed Timothy Zahn's work for almost a decade now; I think his Star Wars novels are the best ever written in that universe, and his original space operas are zippy, exciting, and innovative.

My only quibble: Too often, it seems that about a hundred pages into a Zahn novel, his characters stop being the incredibly realistic and intriguing folks they've been so far and become flatter, more familiar, and less interesting.

That's why Manta's Gift surprised me so much. Not only does this book run from page one with a kind of non-stop manic energy, but the characters Zahn creates are both consistent and consistently alien. This is a weird, wonderful glimpse into the sort of society that might be buried beneath Jupiter's clouds, a culture alien enough that I never knew what to expect but human enough that I cared deeply about the characters. If you like stories with both a brain and a heart, check this one out!

Truely a masterpiece.......2004-10-27

Over the last six months i have reread Manta's Gift over four times. The book takes place many years in the future in the atmosphere of Jupiter. The plot is nothing amazing as far as Sci-Fi goes, but the potreyal of the characters and situations are beautifuly written. One of the more interesting points of the book is the Culture Clash that takes place between the human mind of Manta and rules that govern an inherent prey race, vs a hunter race like humans.
One of the things that set this book apart is Zahn's style of "tricking" you into thinking the book is almost over. Time and time again he brings up situations when most other authors would leave the book off there.
But at its heart, the book is a timeless story of culture clashes mixed with despairing romance unlike the happy endings found in most books today. Zahn combines his knowlage of science with an extremely creative imagination to creat a fantastic read, highly recomended

Jupiter Sky Captain.......2004-10-19

Timothy Zahn is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. He has a knack for developing characters and story without pausing the fast-paced action that usually occurs in his novels. And having said that, Manta's Gift is not exactly an action novel. This book is more about the "human condition"; what makes a man a man? Can a man be someone/something else?
The mind of paraplegic Matt Raimey is reborn into the body of an alien Qanska living in the skies of Jupiter in order to help humanity and the Qanska understand one another better. There are, of course, ulterior motives for both species, and that is one of the themes of the book. The other is Matt's ability/inability to cope with his new existence. Will he be a human in a Qanska body, will he become a Qanska, or will he become a tool for one species to use against the other?
This book was sort of a slow read due to the limited action, but I was never bored and needed to know what was going to happen next.

Book Description

National Bestseller

New York Times Editors’ Choice

Winner of the PEN Hessell Tiltman Prize

Winner of the Duff Cooper Prize

Silver Medalist for the Arthur Ross Book Award
of the Council on Foreign Relations

Finalist for the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award

For six months in 1919, after the end of “the war to end all wars,” the Big Three—President Woodrow Wilson, British prime minister David Lloyd George, and French premier Georges Clemenceau—met in Paris to shape a lasting peace. In this landmark work of narrative history, Margaret MacMillan gives a dramatic and intimate view of those fateful days, which saw new political entities—Iraq, Yugoslavia, and Palestine, among them—born out of the ruins of bankrupt empires, and the borders of the modern world redrawn.

Customer Reviews:

Paris 1919.......2007-08-23

Margaret Macmillan's Paris 1919 is a masterful work that shows the complexity of the negotiations after World War One and just how enormous the task at hand truly was. There is no blame for what happened, or what didn't happen. She does not blame the future on this treaty. her approach is fresh and inspiring. Her writing style is fast-paced yet she clearly understands her subject.

For many it is easy to follow earlier accounts and say that World War Two had its origin in Paris in 1919. Contemporaries of Wilson, Clemanceau, and Lloyd George used such predictions to drive home their point. When the Second World War erupted, many looked to these critics of Versailles and agreed. For some, these critics appear as prophets.

Not so, says Macmillan. It is an easy cop out to avoid responsibility to place blame, throw up one's hands and say there is nothing they can do, then brood. True, if the Council of Four (Three) had had a better grasp of their world they might not have made the decisions they did, but one cannot blame the past for the future. There were plenty of stubborn decisions at Paris, but the participants had their own hands tied by earlier secret deals and the like. None in Paris blamed the past that led to those secret deals for the quandry they found themselves in, so why should future generations blame the Paris negotiators?

This treaty is so vast, and so complex, it is a wonder Macmillan was able to cover it in just under 500 pages of text. She is a first rate author and a first rate scholar. It will take quite a feat to write a better account of the Versailles Treaty.

A Good Example of How Good Intentions Can Go Wrong.......2007-08-13

This book gives an excellant example of what can happen when people try to make a better world and let too much of the old world invade and frustrate what you are trying accomplish. It shows how when the Allies sat down after the Armistace was signed to create a peace that would last, too many of the promises and treaties signed during the war came back to haunt those same nations that had made them.

The format is interesting in each chapter zeroes in on a specific area of the conference. It is helpful in that all the informaton for say Poland is in one area, but kind of makes you lose the chronological flow of the conference where so many of these things were happening at the same time. It makes for a good reference in that you can look up a certain topic without having to skim through the whole chronological timeline to find it. A chronological scheme of events would have been even harder to accomplish since several topics were handled on the same day at the conference and the reader would have been lost in all the detail.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in WW1 and how the Treaty of Versailles was drawn up. It shows how all of the participants were human with flaws and strengths. It also shows how different nations can view the same idea differently and how you can end up with less than you hoped for when all is said and done.

A tour de force in historical narrative.......2007-07-03

1919 masses a vast amount of information about the critical period of the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles and tangential treaties that ended the Great War. At its best, 1919 ties it all together to draw relevance to today's world.

Macmillan charges through a dense web of diplomatic doings but livens the mix with vivid personalities and dramatic conversations. TE Lawrence, Kemal Ataturk, Bratianu of Romania, D'Annunzio of Italy. Macmillan strikes a neutral view overall, but one detects a sense of favor to Lloyd George, her great-grandfather. She teases him about his sense of geography, but generally he seems to rise above Wilson and Clemenceau in the telling. Woodrow Wilson is depicted as a sad and frustrated old man.

Each nation altered by the peacemakers is treated in turn. Ironically, Germany gets the least depth of treatment. Macmillan seems to say "you know the rest of that story" but still connects the dots to the next conflict. More focus is on the less told stories of how Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman empires were carved up and new nations formed.

A tour de force in historical narrative. Fascinating.

History woven with personalities and culture.......2007-06-04

What an incredibly powerful point in history. The ending of an era of dynasties lasting centuries and monarchy for several countries along with the evolution of communism. The personalities of the leaders and how they related in the process is fascinating. The process of breaking up the Austrian-Hungary empire as well as the Ottoman empire and the ramifications resulting are worth the read.
I enjoyed the cultural differences outlined between the French, English, American and Italian as well, not to mention the German, Japanese, Chinese, Greek and others. The evolution of America and the American position on foreign affairs is also worthy of note.
There is much complex material and much history of the areas in question but I recommend this book highly.

Paris 1919.......2007-05-30

Gave me good insite into history & politics of the times. Well ritten

Average customer rating:

A precious book!!!

Peace Tales
Margaret MacDonald
Manufacturer: August House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Pedagogy | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0874837944

Book Description

Maybe it's the king who spills honey, and then says it is not his problem until it causes a war. Or maybe it's some sandpipers and whales who get into a foolish fight that almost destroys their homes. Perhaps it's the man who thinks that a gun makes him strong, or the monkeys who follow their leader into water that's too deep.

Customer Reviews:

A precious book!!!.......2006-12-18

Margaret Read MacDonald has compiled a treasure of beautiful folk tales in this book. She describes them best in her Note to Storytellers and Discussion Leaders," In seeking material for this book I looked for tales which showed a way to achieve peace. Facile stories suggesting we all simply join hands...didn't interest me."

These stories have action and humor, and though most of the characters are animals they certainly have more than a healthy helping of human nature. They will appeal to a wide variety of children. The very young will enjoy simply hearing these tales of conflict and conflict resolution, while older chidren will be able to discuss the implications of character's choices.

MacDonald has documented these tales in beautiful, conversational language. I recommend telling these stories orally if you have even the smallest vein of theatrics in you. It is how their magic is worked best. However, if the idea of oral storytelling is too intimidating, you can read straight from the pages of this book.
Very Highly Recommended!

A Grief Sanctified: Passing Through Grief to Peace and Joy

Average customer rating:

Single men & women: Buy this book!

A Grief Sanctified: Passing Through Grief to Peace and Joy
J. I. Packer , and Richard Baxter
Manufacturer: Vine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Grief & Bereavement | Death & Grief | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Single men & women: Buy this book!.......1999-10-26

As a single man ready to marry, this book opened my eyes to the dangers and delights of marriage. As soon as Baxter warns about vices that are peculiar to marriage, he describes the wonders of Christian intimacy in marriage. Very encouraging!

Average customer rating:

the best book ever
Too Secular For Me
an excellent mystery
Couldn't put it down
This is a page-turner.

Margaret's Peace
Linda Hall
Manufacturer: Multnomah
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Mystery | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1576732169
Release Date: 1998-01-05

Book Description

After the death of her only daughter and the subsequent breakup of her marriage, Margaret Collingwood returns to her home in Coffins Reach, Maine, and to the seafront house she has inherited. She goes there to rest, to paint, and to find the God she has lost. Instead, she is thrust back twenty-five years and must relive the accidental death of her sister and face her family's long-buried secrets.

The old family home shrouded in the secrets of the past...

When Margaret Collinwood inherits her childhood home in Coffins Reach, Maine, she returns to the seafront house hoping to rest, to paint, and to find the peace she has lost after the death of her daughter and the subsequent breakup of her marriage. But Margaret's return to her family home forces her to face difficult childhood memories surrounding the fatal accicdent that took the life of her sister twenty-five years earlier. As Margaret begins to examine the past, strange things start happening in the present. As she moves between her childhood memories,the ghostly legends surrounding her historic house, and the trendy cafes of the Maine coast, Margaret uncovers the truth hidden in long-buried family secrets. And in facing the past, she finds new hope for her future.

Customer Reviews:

the best book ever.......2002-01-21

Margaret's Peace is a book that you definitely can't put down. Linda Hall allows the reader to get right into the minds of her characters and know their internal struggles along with the suspense surrounding their lives.

Too Secular For Me.......2002-01-05

I started reading books by this author as an alternative to secular fiction. This is the fourth I've read and I've decided against reading any more (I'm a little slow). While Hall's writing style is interesting and easy to read, I was disappointed to find incest, murder, premarital sex etc. in Christian literature. There was mention of church and some characters grappled with spiritual issues, but these themes were minor in my opinion. Perhaps I need to leave the mystery genre to find more wholesome topics.
Other Linda Hall books I've read: Sadie's Song, Katheryn's Secret, Island of Refuge

an excellent mystery.......2000-06-25

Linda Hall is truly a gifted mystery writer. Margaret returns to her family home to escape a failing marriage and emptiness after her daughter's death. However, instead of a haven, she finds that she must come face to face with her sister's mysterious death twenty-five years before. Her estranged family of aunts, uncles, and cousins all seem to be keeping secrets from her, as do the retarded man and his crazy mother who live next door. On top of this, Margaret also comes across a one-hundred-year-old legend that includes a curse on her house and a ghost who walks the beach at night. Before Margaret can find her peace, she must find her answers. Did her sister die accidentally, as she had been lead to believe? Is her house cursed? Who has been watching her and why? Did God desert her when her daughter died? Hall is excellent at writing multilayered mysteries, and Margaret's Peace is no exception. I could not put it down.

Couldn't put it down.......2000-01-14

This book was a page turner. I stayed up late several nights, unable to put it down! Suspensful and intrigueing. Great story about the loss of faith and the search for inner peace in the midst of turmoil and hidden family secrets. Linda is vivid in her details of scenery and people. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great mystery.

This is a page-turner........1999-09-12

Margaret's Peace is a compelling tale of both suspense and the inner journey of a woman to find the meaning of love in her life and the faith to sustain that love. It is truly a page-turner and I highly recommend it to you.

Peace Tales: World Folktales to Talk About

Average customer rating:

Well Researched, Good Variety
Fabulous book!
Great Stories
Great Stories

Peace Tales: World Folktales to Talk About
Margaret Read MacDonald
Manufacturer: Linnet Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0208023291

Customer Reviews:

Well Researched, Good Variety.......2002-06-02

We admit that we are big fans of Ms. MacDonald. That is our bias. This book was just one more YAY!! in our fan club feelings. You will especially love the story of the -Drop of Honey- as you explore stories of how the world will be a better place when we all take responsibility with for peace. This book is not as preachy as this review and you will be sure to use some of the stories within with all and any ages. ...

Fabulous book!.......2001-08-06

This excellent collection of peace tales saved us HOURS of research! Good of Margie to do it for us! We're using the books' tales to create story theater performance by kids at our national convention, a family event, of Subud, a spiritual association. Thanks to Margie MacDonald!

Great Stories.......2000-05-27

I have used these stories in Sunday School, and to bolster discussions, at work and in casual conversation. MacDonald has gathered a fine collection of thought provoking stories and quotes from around the world. Storytellers, teachers and counselors will all want to look at this collection.

Great Stories.......2000-05-27

Average customer rating:

A sort of peace
Margaret Thomson Davis
Manufacturer: Allison & Busby
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

The Grace Trilogy: Messages of Love, Grace, and Peace

Average customer rating:

"The Journey to Oneness"

The Grace Trilogy: Messages of Love, Grace, and Peace
Margaret Perron , Julieanne Carver , Mary Love , and Mary Kathryn Love
Manufacturer: Hazelden Publishing & Educational Services
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Interpersonal Relations | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1568381557

Customer Reviews:

"The Journey to Oneness".......2000-11-28

If you are looking for spiritual guidance spend some time with three "ordinary" women in this trio of books. Travel with them through the birth of two children and death of one, and see how little "Grace" opened them to love, revelation, inner-guidance, and peace. Whereas a life-changing event can be (and in this case, is) a powerful teacher, read about how they share, connect and "figure out" how to make what they learn all work on a day-to -day basis. For after all...don't we all have issues that we must deal with daily, and ...some sense of emptiness, questions about why, who are we, etc.? This is powerful, yet simple, compelling, yet understated. I would give it 5 stars, but it is a bit too wordy for my taste...don't let that stop you, in fact, it might not even bother you! I highly recommend it and am ordering several for gifts. (I want to keep my copy--I've highlighted many areas and wish to read it over and over!)

Banner of peace and Cumberland Presbyterian advocate: Abstracts of marriage, death, and other notices, 1843-1853 : indexed

Average customer rating:

Banner of peace and Cumberland Presbyterian advocate: Abstracts of marriage, death, and other notices, 1843-1853 : indexed
Margaret B Scoggins
Manufacturer: M.B. Scoggins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006EQ5G8

Peace Without Justice: Obstacles to Building the Rule of Law in El Salvador

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Peace Without Justice: Obstacles to Building the Rule of Law in El Salvador
Margaret Popkin
Manufacturer: Pennsylvania State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Democracy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books

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Non-US Legal Systems | Perspectives on Law | Law | Subjects | Books

Interagency and Political-Military Dimensions of Peace Operations: Haiti-A Case Study (S/N 008-020-01391-9)

Average customer rating:

Interagency and Political-Military Dimensions of Peace Operations: Haiti-A Case Study (S/N 008-020-01391-9)

Manufacturer: United States Government Printing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9996260143

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