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The Walled City (Library of Modern Jewish Literature)
Esther David
Manufacturer: Syracuse University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
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Book of Esther
ASIN: 0815607504 |
Customer Reviews:
Moving, worth reading.......2006-08-08
Evocative novel made up of vignettes that trace the arc of the life of a Jewish girl growing up in Ahmedabad, India (the walled city of the title). Unlike any other books I've read about being Jewish.
Average customer rating:
- Great stories that take a while to warm to
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In the Walled City: Stories
Stewart O'Nan
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Everyday People
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Speed Queen
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A World Away: A Novel
ASIN: 0802138543 |
Book Description
Stewart O'Nan is one of the most highly acclaimed fiction writers of his generation, selected by Granta as one of the Best Young American Novelists and hailed by The New York Times as "a master." Grove Press is proud to issue his award-winning debut In the Walled City in paperback. Winner of the prestigious Drue Heinz Prize in 1993 -- selected by a panel chaired by Tobias Wolff -- O'Nan's collection In the Walled City features twelve stories that delve into the lives and souls of an astonishing range of characters, from an old Chinese grocer to a young policeman separated from his family and descending into madness. Intimate and generous, these stories brilliantly illuminate the connections that bind us and the obligations and sorrows of love.
Customer Reviews:
Great stories that take a while to warm to.......2002-03-21
I absolutely loved O'Nan's "A Prayer for the Dying," so naturally I had to go back to his first book to see where he began. Although I managed to find a copy...
The twelve stories included in this collection are interesting. O'Nan shows a talent for giving us the same story through different perspectives, and his language is beautiful at times, but the collection seems to be a mixed bag. The two stories that I would consider rather weak are "Mr. Wu Thinks" and "The Third of July." It seems in these two stories mainly that O'Nan gives us something but doesn't really lead it into a pleasing direction. I kept wishing these two stories would go somewhere interesting. Both do manage to give us a lot of insight into their characters, but the ten other stories in the collection are superb and do a much better job of delving into the darkness of the human spirit.
I would actively search for this collection of stories. O'Nan almost had a perfect collection of stories on his hand, but even so, the vast majority of these stories are excellent and worth the purchase.
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The walled city;: A story of the criminal insane,
Edward Huntington Williams
Manufacturer: Funk & Wagnalls company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: B00086OSRC |
Book Description
From George Lucas, creator of Star Wars(r) and Indiana Jones, and Chris Claremont, author of the bestselling X-Men adventures, comes the thrilling sequel to Shadow Moon, taking readers deeper into a stunningly original world of magic, myth, and legend.
The momentous Ascension of Princess Elora Danan should have brought peace to the Thirteen Realms. Instead, an intense Shadow War rages, spearheaded by the evil Mohdri. He has dispatched his dread Black Rose commando assassins to capture Elora and her sworn protector, Thorn Drumheller. But Mohdri himself is just a facade for a more dangerous entity: the Deceiver. But who--or what--is the Deceiver? And how can Elora, Thorn, and their ragtag band defeat this unspeakable force? The answer lies in a perilous journey to a land undisturbed since the dawn of time. A journey that will end at the unbreachable citadel of the dragon, where a chilling betrayal will change the fate of Elora, Thorn, and the Thirteen Realms forever.
Customer Reviews:
Shadow War, Book 2.......2007-01-27
Things began to get confusing following the myriad trails of all the principal characters. It seemed repetitive and unnecessary. I wanted to resolve the confusion by going to Book III. Some of the writing resembles a script rather than a story with particulars that help the reader grasp the action.
A delight for all ages.......2005-02-07
Having picked up this book, with no notion that it was descended from the movie Willow or that is was a sequel to Shadow Moon, I found it perfectly capable of standing on its own. One does not need to have read the first book or seen the movie to enjoy it.
Together, George Lucas and Chris Claremont have written a tangible piece of fantasy fiction. The story has believable characters, is descriptive and the reader empathises with the journey. The silver skinned Sacred Princess, Elora Danan stirs the imagination. The young heroine's impulsive and inquisitive nature drives the story and with a few very colourful characters to assist her along the way, it is a delight to be pulled into the pages.
A beautifully composed, structurally comprehensive piece of work for all ages.
I don't care what others say..........2004-12-20
I've heard and read quite a few reviews saying that these books were not good. It's a lie! Sure I'm only 11, but I personally think that these books are a wonderful challenge. The way they are written is good, and Elora is a great heroin. I'm almost done with the second book, and by now I fully think that it's a wonderful story line.
Now true, I've never seen the movie, Willow, and perhaps it makes people expectant for a certain quality, but honestly, I find the story to be very good. Perhaps it's a good thing I didn't see the movie first. Anyway, I think the books are good, no matter if others don't.
Now we get going..........2004-09-09
A much better follow up to the first book, Shadow Star. It seems that Claremont and Lucas now had their bearings and had managed to get their thoughts organized into a comprehensible world where characters we have know since the movie have grown and changed (yet, as the saying goes, still stayed the same), characters we have known since the first book who are now familiar and much clearer in our minds, and new characters who add color to the world.
Thorn (Willow) takes a smaller part than he did in the film and the first book, but that is only because the authors have discovered Elora. She has grown into a fully fledged character and not just the cute baby and bratty child we have known. This is her story and she is conflicted, flawed, carring, and a fully fledged character.
There are people who have disappeared and never reappear, but you almost don't care, as the mystery of the world keeps you wondering and questioning with the rest of the characters as they try to prevent the many worlds from ripping themselves apart, not only internally, but from each other. This makes sense now that the mythology hinted at in the movie and established, however shakily, in the first book is now complete and alive.
Reading it was a joy. There were moments where you will laugh out loud and rip through others as you race from the start of a fight or a chase till its end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who plays Dungeons and Dragons, as some of the sequences just reek of being played out on a table with a twenty-sider and a character sheet.
The ending manages to answer all of the questions critical to this book, while still leaving the more critical ones that hang over the trilogy only partially answered. You will be reaching for the final book the minute you end this one.
WHY?!.......2004-06-10
The prospect of a book series expanding the world of Willow, and seeing the rest of the story develop convinced me to buy this book without a second thought. I should have had a second thought.
The beginning had some potential, and familiar characters were making appearances, and I felt like the world was coming back. Then it felt to me like the author just gave up. A lot of characters die for no apparent reason, the world changes without explaination, and I couldn't figure out why characters were doing what they were doing now.
This aside, the writing did nothing to fill in the blanks for me. Flashbacks, spirit traveling, story lines, and dialogue all mashed together into a tangled mess. It felt like the author knew what was going on and expected the reader to make due with vague discriptions, and random encounters. I felt like I was reading an idea for a book, not the finished product.
My hopes, expectations, and excitement for this series have been chopped down like so many spotted owls. Disappointing would have been too kind a word to describe my feelings toward this series.
To anyone currious about this book series, I offer this advice. Leave this one on the shelf. Don't be the next victom of cruel inadequecy.
Book Description
Stunning photographs and evocative text take readers to far-off Madagascar. There, primatologist Alison Jolly dwells and works among lemurs. These fascinating primates live only on the island of Madagascar, where they socialize in troops--and where, like humans, they are often involved in power struggles and family disputes. Threats to the environment have endangered lemurs, but Dr. Jolly hopes that by studying these unusual animals she’ll discover ways for people to live in harmony with their distant primate cousins.
Customer Reviews:
A good book to introduce children to the joys of research........1998-03-20
I think the best part of the book is that it shows children the fun and excitement of doing primate research in the wild. It shows why Alison Jolly hasreturned to the same piece of forest for the last30 years. It balances that by displaying some ofthe sorrowwhen you cannot help a dying animal.
And of course, it describes Lemur catta social organizationat a level which should be entertaining to children,and mentions briefly some of the other lemurs foundin Berenty reserve.
The book is nicely illustrated with photographs onevery page.
Book Description
Separated from her mother at an early age, Tara Elgin Holley became her mother's legal guardian at age 16 and set about trying to rescue the blonde fairy princess she remembered from the shambling street person her mother had become. An inspiring story of one woman's struggle to struggle through the pain to reach a better understanding of her mother, herself and a devastating mental illness.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book that provided much comfort.......2003-11-13
As a young woman with a mother who has paranoid schizophrenia, this book was invaluable to me. My mom was missing for 12 years, and I received this as a gift not long after finding her (about a year and a half ago). It was personally very comforting for me to read this wonderful book, and I would recommend it to anyone. Ms. Holley's close bond with her mom reminded me of the bond I had/have with mine, and the inherently conflicted feelings that result from that bond.
A Must Read.......2002-10-23
My Mother's Keeper is an excellent autobiography/biography in one of a mother and daughter and their separate and entwined lives. I am a mental health RN and have been studying about schizophrenia. This book has helped me see in places I have never been able to see into before. I now have a broader perspective of schizophrenia and how families must feel also. Ms. Holley's writing is easy to read and follow. So much so, that it is very hard to put the book down. This is definitely a must read for anyone who wants to find out more about schizophrenia.
Moving telling of a difficult story.......1999-06-02
This was an exceptionally well written memoir, one that must have been very difficult to write. Ms. Elgin moves gracefully along the line between her mother's story and her own, and (it appears) honestly grapples with the ups and downs of both. Thank you.
Accurate, yet sensitive and personal.......1998-07-17
This book provides an accurate description of the development and chronic course of schizophrenia, one of the most debilitating illnesses of our time. The Holleys' sensitive portrayal of Mrs. Elgin's life touched me deeply. I thank them for giving us and honest depiction of this illness.
A must read for anyone curious about schizophrenia.......1998-02-01
I fell in love with this book from the first page and couldn't put it down. The author takes you through the beginning of a beautiful singing career of her mother to the painful discovery of a life long mental illness. It truely gave me a new understanding of schizophrenia and the affect it has on family and friends.
Average customer rating:
- Tropical setting revives a bored and listless summer!
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Dawn Shadows (Topaz Historical Romances)
Susannah Leigh
Manufacturer: Topaz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0451405102 |
Customer Reviews:
Tropical setting revives a bored and listless summer!.......1997-08-15
This book is great! Having no idea is was the last in a trilogy, I jumped right in. The story had a fabulous setting with suspense, romance, passion, violence and maternal instincts thrown in for good measure. And being a redhead, it had many good qoutes about being a redhead(the heroine was)in it! Definitely reccomend this book! Now I need to find the other 2 in the trilogy
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Fragrant Shadows
Roger (Red Dawn) Gregory Castagne
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Carribean & Latin American | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0595432204 |
Book Description
NEED to slow down and ponder? Perhaps you feel to contemplate slightly more deeply on the countless issues, which invade our privacy. Fragrant Shadows of Beauty will allow you the privilege of feeling good about taking time for yourself and simply enjoy. The call of nature is evident throughout the selection and you may have an insatiable desire to get to the beach and perhaps take a dip in the ocean. Living on an island 21 miles long and a smile wide means the author is always within seconds of seeing the sea and minutes from diving into it. You too after diving into his work, will want to get wet or simply feel refreshed-that's why he suggests you take the poems near to the sea, river or stream as the accompanying sounds will provide a soothing backdrop to poetry which enchants and revives drooping spirits.
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In Dawn's Shadow
Manufacturer: The International Library of Poetry
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0795150180 |
Book Description
Anthology of amateur poetry.
Average customer rating:
- Not Free SF Reader
- Boring
- NOT one of his better efforts!
- Lacks the sparkle of "Operation Chaos"
- neat ideas hindered by an unsuspenseful narration
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Operation Luna (Operation Chaos)
Poul Anderson
Manufacturer: Tor Science Fiction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Anderson, Poul
| ( A )
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Operation Chaos: A Novel (Operation Chaos)
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Old Man's War
ASIN: 0812580273 |
Book Description
Poul Anderson, recently the winner of the Nebula's Grandmaster Award for lifetime achievement, returns to the world of his acclaimed novel Operation Chaos with the tale of one family's mission to the moon. Ginny Greylock and Steven Matuchek are partners an Earth quite unlike our own. For starters, Ginny is a licensed witch and Steve is an engineer and werewolf. Steve moonlights by working on a spacecraft in the Arizona desert, a project which soon discovers that there is life on the moon. Neither Steve nor the US government has any inkling as to the nature of the moonsprites, and everyone is anxious to make contact. But when the time comes to test the spacecraft, a host of bugs, snafus, and angry spirits conspire to prevent the launch. It's a recipe for perfect lunacy as Ginny and her clan struggle to figure out who, or what, is sabotaging the greatest magical and scientific achievement of the century.
Customer Reviews:
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
An amusing, lightweight fantasy. Perhaps the slightly unbelievable part being that the two supernatural secret agents are basically married and boring suburbanites. Think Disney movie, when they were actually good, for the feel.
Magic is technology, otherwise things are as they were in that period of time. The husband and wife team must save the magical space program with some travel of their own.
Boring.......2002-08-30
Please, do yourself a favour and do not read this book. Most of the time it's extremly boring! The only reason I gave this book a 2 was because I liked the ending.
NOT one of his better efforts!.......2001-02-28
Having not read "Operation Chaos," I can't say whether or not its sequel, "Operation Luna," is similar. It's not really necessary, however, to read "Chaos" before reading "Luna," since Anderson apparently decided to redo all his expository work. And my god, did he redo it! It took me two days to get through the first 150 pages, and I can normally finish a 700 page book in an afternoon. The book does get better after those first 150 pages, but I'm not sure it's worth plowing through that morass of banality.
"Operation Luna" is set in an alternate world, where magic was reawakened by an unexplained physics experiment in the early 20th century. People ride broomsticks and flying carpets; traditional deities, fairies, ghosts, and other magical creatures exist; the IRS uses the tax code as dread incantations; etc. The time period is not terribly clear; Steve says eleven years have passed since "Chaos," which was apparently set during this world's WWII, but the tone seems very modern.
As the story opens, Steve Matuchek, an engineer and werewolf, and his wife Ginny, a beautiful witch (must the women always be beautiful?), are working with NASA to send people to the moon. When NASA's program is sabotaged, they begin -- oh-so-slowly! -- to work on their own space program, and to discover who's behind the sabotage. There are complications with the IRS, the FBI, Steve and Ginny's children, a Chinese spy, and demons of various nationalities, which eventually come together in a climactic battle, after which the book abruptly ends, without ever quite resolving its issues. Also, the overarching theme of the story never becomes clear, though Anderson seems to think there is one.
Steve Matuchek is a lousy narrator; the book would have done much better in third person. Steve has three main functions: to tell us he can't describe things well, thus excusing Anderson's lack of descriptive ability; to be confused by magic, thus allowing Anderson to avoid showing a clear system of spells; and to wonder what his world would be like without magic, thus allowing Anderson to show differences between this world and ours, in one of the clunkiest expository techniques it has ever been my misfortune to read.
I know Anderson can write, and I enjoy his other books. But this one is too long for its own good, and the charm of some later scenes (particularly those with the enchanted sword Fotherwick-Botts and his/its smith, the dwarf Fjalar) is dampened by the tedium of the exposition and Steve's narration. Also, Steve tends to reveal plot twists before they occur, and, despite his loud claims of not being able to think clearly as a wolf, he narrates exactly the same way in wolf form as in human form! Yeesh.
I feel somewhat cheated by "Operation Luna." It could have been amazing, and it just wasn't. I give it one star for an interesting concept, and another for some good scenes, but I can't, in good conscience, do more than that.
Lacks the sparkle of "Operation Chaos".......2000-12-11
I loved Operation Chaos, and really looked forward to this book, but it didn't enthrall me the way the original book did. It just seems like things never take off, and I was never thrilled the way I was by the first book. The climactic "quest" (admittedly a poor choice of words, but I have none better) doesn't capture the imagination like the descent into Hell of the original, and climax seems short and unsatisfying. Not a bad book, and adequately readable, but it just isn't what it's predecessor was!
neat ideas hindered by an unsuspenseful narration.......2000-11-12
I was delighted when I heard that a sequel to _Operation Chaos_, a collection of loosely-related stories set in a techno-magical alternate Earth, had come out. Unfortunately, I can't recommend _Operation Luna_ as I would its prequel.
A lot of great elements are there: mankind's effort to reach the moon, our familiar protagonists from _Operation Chaos_ (Steve Matuchek, werewolf engineer, and Virginia Graylock, witch extraordinaire), a garrulous enchanted sword (named Fotherwick-Botts) from the Norse era and his forger, a dwarven smith who adjusts poorly to modern life, Coyote's schemes and uneasy dreams....
Alas, despite the attempts at levity, the story never really comes together. Steve Matuchek wasn't the best choice of a narrator. While he's definitely involved in the action in _Operation Chaos_, here he's relegated to reporting on everyone else's actions since, due to his lack of magical expertise, he can't actually get involved. As a result, a lot of potential suspense (will Virginia succeed in her quest for Mimir's knowledge? will their daughter Valeria survive her desperate attempt to foil the IRS?) trickles away. Another problem is that the evils and dangers confronted are rarely convincingly dangerous. Occasionally Anderson throws in social criticism of our world as it is (in contrast to this magical alter-Earth), but there isn't enough of it to fully convince, and it sits uneasily with the lighter tone of most of the story.
All in all, while it's a light and often entertaining tale, _Operation Luna_ fails to live up to the wit, fine worldbuilding and daredevil adventures of its prequel.
Average customer rating:
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Operation Luna
Poul Anderson
Manufacturer: New York, NY, U.S.A.: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVBXG0 |
Book Description
Not many years ago, killer whales had a reputation that was even fiercer than their name. But in 1964 the Vancouver Aquarium obtained its first killer whale, Moby Doll, and for the first time the public got a personal look at one of these much-feared marine mammals. It was soon discovered that they were not the vicious man-eaters of legend. Attitudes began to change and today they are revered as loveable, intelligent creatures, iconic symbols of the marine environment.
In January 2002, a young killer whale was discovered alone in the waters of Puget Sound near Seattle. Determining that the whale would not survive alone so far from home, a team of scientists captured "Springer" and transported her by boat north to her home range where she rejoined her family.
At the same time Springer was making her historic journey, another lone whale turned up in Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The people of Nootka Sound adopted "Luna" as their own, but he was a large, boisterous youngster who liked to cuddle boats and the government feared he would get into trouble. Another rescue was planned to return Luna to his family but this time there was no happy ending.
In Operation Orca, award-winning author Daniel Francis gives breadth to the complications, contradictions, and political posturing that twice engulfed the debate of whether to interfere or let nature take its course. Through the amazing story of these two "orphan" whales, Operation Orca tells the larger story of orcas in the Pacific Northwest, the people who have studied them and the transformation of the whale's image from killer to icon.
Book Description
In the years following the Civil War, Hannah and Solomon Cooper decide to seek out a new life on the frontier. In the dangerous journey that follows, however, tragedy strikes. By all reasonable expectations they should return home. Yet to the surprise of everyone in the wagon train -- and despite great opposition -- Hannah presses onward, displaying grit, courage, and a faith deep enough to sustain her family through life's greatest trials.
Customer Reviews:
A novel of Contemplation.......2005-12-17
What would I do in her shoes runs through the reader's mind as they follow Hannah's tragic account?
Hannah is moving west in great anguish and in survival mode. Her husband Solomon, who had been a civil war hero, forfeited his own life to preserve his loved ones. He was Hannah's champion and now she is bereft. She is carrying a fatherless child and heading for Fort Bridger. She and Solomon were to open a mercantile together. Now she and the children are left to shoulder this overwhelming responsibility. They journey onward in fortitude trusting in Jesus Christ to sustain and open all the necessary doors. This is a great tale of unfailing faith!
Hannah is a godly loving woman anyone would love to cherish as their mother, sister, friend or neighbor. I just wanted to put my arms around this lady of uncompromising love.
Good Salvation message.......2001-07-17
This book was the first that I have read by Al/Joanna Lacy. Growing up in Washington, I am always interested in stories about the Oregon Trail. This book had likeable characters, a great message, and surprising accuracy about life and scenery on the Oregon Trail.
Wonderful book.......couldn't put it down........2000-05-29
This book is just wonderful...the only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is because it's not as good as some of Al Lacy's others. But that doesn't mean it isn't great. I bought this book and read it in one day. It captures your imagination and you feel right along with the characters.
Godd Christian Fiction.......1998-09-16
A story about a family taveling west during the movement westward in the last century.
The father is taken from the family on the way to Fort Bridger. The story line is how the wife trusts God to lead her and her children.
The love of Christ shown forth in the story is a testimony of the power of God in the life of someone who knows the Lord Jesus Christ in Bible salvation.
Wonderful testimony of God's Grace........1998-09-14
How God intervened in the life of a family traveling west when the father was taken from them.
A compelling drama of how an individual can face adversity with God's help, when they know Jesus Christ in Bible salvation.
Books:
- The Weekend That Changed the World: The Mystery of Jerusalem's Empty Tomb
- The Wholeness of a Broken Heart: A Novel
- The Year the Music Changed: The Letters of Achsa Mceachern-Isaacs & Elvis Presley
- This Side of Eternity
- Three Novels: The Deep, Engine Summer, and Beasts
- Train to Durango: Border Empire 2 (Border Empire)
- Trouble in July
- Ulysses: A Reproduction of the 1922 First Edition
- Unlikely Angels: Cupid's Chase/Fool Me Twice/Birds of a Feather/A Season for Love (Palisades Pure Romance Valentine Anthology)
- Vecindarios excéntricos
Books Index
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