7/18/2009
6/28/2009
Michael jackson Books
ew Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2) Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.Customer Review: I love this book! New Moon is a very well-written book by Stephenie Meyer. I love the whole saga, but this is one of my favorites...so heartbreaking & yet so thrilling at the same time. I am reading it again for about the fourth time! When I first read New Moon, I could not put it down...it's too interesting & exciting! Customer Review: Nothing Special This was my least favorite book in the series. I find Bella's character just very annoying. I find her annoying in all of the books. Although I did think that Kristen Stewart did an excellent job in the movie portraying Bella. Were lucky the screenwriter made her a little bit more of an average teenager, rather than the annoying, completely independant character that "takes care of her father, because he just can't do anything on his own" I was waiting for them to write that Bella follows him into the bathroom to wipe him afterwards. Overall I did enjoy the Twilight series, but I'll tell you one thing, It's NOOO Harry Potter!! | ||||||
Michael Jackson: The Man behind the Mask ‘Michael Jackson: The Man behind the Mask’ is the INSIDE STORY of the truth behind the rumors, ugliness and mystery surrounding Michael Jackson. Is Jackson just a confused person who got too much fame too soon or is he a cold and calculating villain who will stop at nothing to have his bizarre appetites satisfied? Now you can read about it for the first time from the man who knows everything! The author, Bob Jones, is not a journalist conducting interviews but somebody who has known and been with Jackson for 34 years as his chief of Public Relations; by his side since Michael was 11 years old. Bob Jones is the one person with this unique inside view of Michael Jackson’s world. To a certain degree, Bob Jones CREATED Michael Jackson. He created his image. For example, Bob Jones created Michael Jackson’s famous nickname "The King of Pop". | ||||||
Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 9) Now an HBO original series, True Blood—the New York Times bestselling Sookie Stackhouse series continues.Except for Sookie Stackhouse, folks in Bon Temps, Louisiana, know little about vamps—and nothing about weres. Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to reveal their existence to the ordinary world. At first all goes well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found near the bar where Sookie works—and she feels compelled to discover who, human or otherwise, did it. But there’s a far greater danger threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings—older, more powerful, and more secretive than vampires or werewolves—is preparing for war. And Sookie finds herself an all-too human pawn in their battle. Customer Review: Incontinuity Wow. I thought it was me. When I was listening to the audio books which I finished all 9 in less than a month. And then listened to them again repeatedly. Trying to figure out if I missed something but to read the other reviews, I can't believe that they published the books with so many character errors. I am totally hooked but this is ridiculous when you pay this much money for something and you a can't return it. If no one buys the next book, that would send a clear and precise message. But of course people want to because they have enjoyed the story. If the quality is no longer the goal, this really sucks! Now I'm really disappointed. Customer Review: If your a devoted Eric Northman fan youll love this one Ive only read 3/4 of the book so far but for you fans of Erics cockiness and irresistable sexual nature you'll absolutely love this book. I won't give out any details that would ruin it for you, but thier relationship takes a surprising twist and its filled with steamy moments that will leave you beggin for more! Half way through you'll need to have a smoke! I truly can't for the life of me wonder why everyone thinks poorly of this one book in particular, me myself i could care less about the less important characters as long as i hear about Bill, Eric, Sookie, and yes Quinn...... | ||||||
Michael Jackson The Early Years 'They became so successful, so quickly, that none of us were prepared for it.' - Suzanne de Passe, Motown Records What can be said about Michael Jackson, that hasn't already been said? Yes so much of what is written about Michael is either inaccurate or negative. The aim of this book is to tell Michael's incredible story as accurately, honestly and comprehensively as possible by focusing on hi music. The book includes a complete, chronological listing of every album (including track listings), one-off singles and collaborations Michael released in the USA and/or UK: In the pre-Motown era For Motown, solo and with the Jackson 5 With the Jacksons The book also features a complete USA and UK chartography, discographies from both the USA and the UK, a videography and a fascinating listing of Jackson rarities from around the world.Customer Review: I love The Book I love Michael Jackson,so of coarse I am bound to like books about him that.This book was Wonderful,it has alot of information on his songs when he was in the Jackson 5 Customer Review: really strong Book this is really cool a book that covers early MJ&His Career&whatnot.this Book does a Great job of refelcting on the artistic side of MJ&going over His work.also a Great reflection on Jermaine,Tito,Marlon,Jackie&later Randy.it's about time the real reason why people got into MJ is mentioned&showcased fr more here with this book. | ||||||
Hide in Plain Sight (The Three Sisters Inn, Book 1) (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense #65) She couldn't turn her back on her family in their time of need. So when her sister was injured, financial expert Andrea Hampton traded the big city for Amish country to help turn her grandmother's house into an inn. But life with the Plain People took a treacherous turn when a string of accidents and pranks threatened her family. Someone didn't want the secrets the old house harbored to come to light. Trusting anyone-- even the handsome carpenter who seemed so genuine--was a battle for Andrea, but her life depended on her ability to find the truth. Customer Review: Amish This was a free Kindle book that sparked my interest and I am glad that it did. I thoroughly enjoy reading stories about the Amish and their neighbors and life styles. This story captivated me till the end. A very good mystery/love story. Funny enough, I recommended this book to all my friends and they couldn't share because I had it on my Kindle. They all purchased it though and none were disappointed. Customer Review: Nothing extraordinary but a decent read Nothing overly exciting or unusual. The romance was pretty tame and the mystery wasn't very convoluted. I didn't even mind the mild religion. It moved along at a decent pace and it was a decent read. | ||||||
Michael Jackson's Beer Companion | ||||||
| Michael Jackson : The Victory Tour Customer Review: Great for a REAL MJ fan This book has many color photos of the tour. It is a great book for the real MJ fam Customer Review: Great book! About the Victory tour. lots of pictures This is an excellent book done on Michael and his brothers. Big hardback. Probably fifty or more photos. There's a small summary about the concert itself, i.e. lights go down jacksons walk down the stage, breaking into michael's single "wannabe startin' somethin', etc. That's about it with the words, everything else are photos. None show Billie Jean unfortunately, i think all the ones that appear to be taken during billie jean are from "shake Your Body" because he doesn't have a glove on. They don't show the monsters or much of the special effects. If you would like more words about the tour check out "on the road with michael" he's in the same jumpsuit as the cover of this book. it's a little paperback. | ||||||
On Michael Jackson Margo Jefferson’s On Michael Jackson is a lucid and elegant cultural analysis of the rise and fall of the King of Pop.An award-winning cultural critic, Jefferson brings an unexpected compassion as well as her sharp intellect and incomparable insight to Jackson’s 2005 trial for child molestation, startling us with her erudite illumination of a media-drenched circus that we only thought we understood. As only she can, Jefferson reads between the lines of Jackson’s 1998 autobiography as well as published accounts of his childhood, his family, and Motown—where Michael and his brothers first made the Jackson 5 a household name—leaving us with provocative and perhaps unanswerable questions about Jackson, child stardom, and fame itself. Customer Review: Bland and boring. I just didn't find this interesting. Sorry but it didn't hold my attention at all. Customer Review: Intelligent read marred by factual errors. This is a very well thought out book - musings - on the life and work of Michael Jackson. It is especially fascinating on child stars and what we ask of them. Research-wise, she does lose sight of the facts surrounding MJ at times and chooses supposition over evidence on occasion. For example, she does not seem to give much credence to his vitilgo yet he first consulted a doctor about it in 1981 or thereabouts, long before the public had any idea of it. A picture exists of him from the early eighties which shows what he looked like with out make up to cover the patches. She also makes out that Michael dismissed Debbie Rowe when hed had enough of her - but I believe this was not the case. She twists the facts somewhat. But on the whole this book is worth reading by anyone interested in fame, our celebrity culture, race, gender. Some MJ fans won't like this book and I'd say it is aimed at the general reader, the curious or the fan who is open minded. Though her language may seem harsh, on reflection, Margo Jefferson does come down on MJ's side in the end. | ||||||
Michael Jackson's Pocket Beer Book 2000 The Pocket Guide to Beer is the perfect book for the beer lover on the move. This tiny, yet encyclopedic, guide is divided into countries and regions and each entry relates to one particular brewery. The book has been updated for 2000/2001 and offers up-to-the-minute information about the dynamic international beer scene. An extensive glossary of terms and styles is also included. - A handy guide to more than 1500 beers. - Advice on visiting specialist restaurants, inns and bars around the world. - Written by the world's top expert. - Ideal to consult while travelling. | ||||||
Michael Jackson's World Beer Hunter - PC - CD-ROM Join renowned beer expert Michael Jackson in a search for the world's top breweries and with this globe-spanning companion to the original best-selling guide to American brews: Michael Jackson's The Beer Hunter . | ||||||
Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (Back Bay Books) "The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanize the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through. But Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston," he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the British. He knew what was going on and he knew exactly whom to tell. The phenomenon continues to this day--think of how often you've received information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a dozen times before reaching you. Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical methods of Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, or explaining why it would be even easier to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor Rod Steiger. Although some readers may find the transitional passages between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, and Gladwell's closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy, even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books on science for a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that "tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name. --Ron Hogan | ||||||
Michael Jackson: The Visual Documentary From The Jackson 5 to a solo artist, Michael Jackson has made the most exciting videos, played the most spectacular concerts and filled the world's largest arenas. He's been performing since the age of five, breaking records since he was 11 and a star without equal since the age of 21. Michael Jackson: The Visual Documentary is the most comprehensive book ever published on the world's greatest pop superstar. From the Fifties to the present day, it is a complete record of Michael's moves, grooves and music. Illustrated with hundreds of colour and black and white photographs. Includes all Michael's records, concerts, videos and awards, his public appearances and dazzling performances, memorabilia and records you never knew existed. Never far from the media spotlight, Michael's whole aura often seems alienated from reality, The Visual Documentary presents all the facts about Michael as never before. Here is everything you need to know about the world's most famous celebrity. Faithfully compiled by Adrian Grant, a writer renowned for his close affiliation with Michael Jackson and a pioneer in many Jackson fan related projects.Customer Review: MJ is a True GANGSTA Props to Da Kang of Pop Props to Adrian Grant for this Book. Elvis,Sinatra&the Beatles I got there albums&they were alright,but MJ Built the House Known as Pop Music. nobody else has taken Pop Music where he has. the Brother always makes Me Proud.growing up in the Hood from Gary Indiana to Becoming the King of Pop.the Man is a One Man Industry.Owns those Catelogs,Masters&is the Most Influential Artist over the past 30 years easily.Every Artist over the past 30 years is in Debt to this Man's Musical Genius&Vision.this is a Tight Book&takes you back.He is the Artist that got me interested in Music more than anyone else.truth be told:the Brother is Vastly Underrated IMO.He deserves far more due for the doors He Broke down. Customer Review: very detailed Book I got this Book a few Years back&truly dug how Adrian Grant went into Detail on MJ's Music.He mentioned when tracks were done&also mentioned side tidbits that were cool as well.very good comprehensive overview on one of the Greatest Music Artists Ever.He mentioned this song called "Buffalo Bill" that Michael Jackson had done&I was like I wish I could have heard it? that was cool of Him to drop Songs&things.alot of folks don't know how detailed MJ is in the studio or the fact He records so much. | ||||||
Michael Jackson: Number Ones (Piano/Vocal/Guitar) (Pvg) Arranged for Piano/Vocal/Guitar with Lyrics. Michael Jackson's album, Number Ones, features a new single "One More Chance." There are 17 more songs on the album and they are all among Michael Jackson's number one hits. Alfred Music Publishing proudly presents this greatest hits matching songbook that features stunning full-color photos of Michael and piano/vocal/guitar arrangements of all 18 songs. Titles are: Bad * Beat It * Ben * Billie Jean * Black or White * Break of Dawn * Dirty Diana * DonÂ’t Stop Â’Til You Get Enough * Earth Song * I Just CanÂ’t Stop Loving You * Man in the Mirror * One More Chance * Rock with You * Smooth Criminal * Thriller * The Way You Make Me Feel * You Are Not Alone * You Rock My World. | ||||||
Crash Proof: How to Profit From the Coming Economic Collapse (Lynn Sonberg Books) The economic tipping point for the United States is no longer theoretical. It is a reality today. The country has gone from the world's largest creditor to its greatest debtor; the value of the dollar is sinking; domestic manufacturing is winding down - and these trends don't seem to be slowing. Peter Schiff casts a sharp, clear-sighted eye on these factors and explains what the possible effects may be and how investors can protect themselves. For more than a decade, Schiff has not only observed the U.S. economy, but also helped his clients reposition their portfolios to reflect his outlook. What he sees is a nation facing an economic storm brought on by growing federal, personal, and corporate debt, too-little savings, a declining dollar, and lack of domestic manufacturing.Crash-Proof is an informed and informative warning of a looming period marked by sizeable tax hikes, loss of retirement benefits, double digit inflation, even - as happened recently in Argentina - the possible collapse of the middle class. However, Schiff does have a survival plan that can provide the protection that readers will need in the coming years. Customer Review: Amazing read!! Peter Schiff goes directly into describing exactly what is the problem with the U.S. economy. He gives you a clear view of why we are in this situation. I would recommend anyone to read this book if you want to protect yourself from the economic collapse that is inevitable. And especially if your curious as to why were in this mess. Customer Review: Brilliant Book This book provides an in-depth and elementary look into the US's fundamental economic problems from an Austrian perspective. The common sense application and easy to understand analogies make it an easy read for someone who isn't even an investor. My Grandma read my copy, and she has asked for my copy again because she liked it that much! For anyone wanting a look beneath the surface of the US economy, buy this book. | ||||||
| Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness "Some of the rumors are true, some of the rumors are false, and a lot of the tales are just plain weird. There are speculations about sex, allegations of unchecked greed and suggestions of a highly dysfunctional family." THE BOSTON GLOBE After hundreds of interviews, celebrity biography J. Randy Taraborrelli tackes the rujors andinnendo that hover over the extraordinarily popular and talented family from Gary, Indiana. He traces the real story behind Michael's extensive plastic surgery; his bizarre publicity stunts; the mini-Disneyland built for his private use; the exciting Motown days of chart-busting records and tours; the phenomenal solo success that has brought Michael undreamed-of wealth and also great personal pain, and much more. It's the whole Jackson Family saga, and it's all in here.
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Michael Jackson- Thriller (Alfred's Classic Album Editions) Arranged for Piano & Guitar (Standard Notation) with Lyrics. Matching songbook to the landmark album that established Michael Jackson as an international superstar. Contents: Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', Baby Be Mine, The Girl Is Mine, Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean, Human Nature, P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing), The Lady In My Life | ||||||
Michael Jackson: Facts from the Dancefloor This guide to the music of Michael Jackson and the Jackson family examines every song released by The Jackson 5, both as a group and as individuals. There is a section on the solo careers of Michael and Janet and the book is CD shaped to sit alongside a CD collection.Customer Review: Props Always to the King of Pop Michael Jackson will always be the King of Pop. Elvis,Beatles,Sinatra,sorry you can't touch MJ. all of the Racist Media&twisted So-Called Journalism ain't changing the facts that the Brother Changed Music forever. this Book speaks on the importance of His Genius as a Great Artist period. this is a cool book&another strong one from Geoff Brown. Customer Review: Michael Jackson and the Jackson Family This book is realy not just called michael jackson.It's called michael jackson and the jackson family.It has colored pictures though they're mostly all black and white.It has information on michael jackson and the rest of the family including jackson 5 and janet jackson. It shows all the albums and songs.It is realy a great book.It also shows what year everyone was born in. | ||||||
Michael Jackson: For The Record Michael Jackson first entered a recording studio in November 1967, just three months after his ninth birthday. Two years later he and his older brothers scored their first hit, 'I Want You Back' - and, despite set-backs that would have ended the career of a lesser man, Michael's legion of fans remain as loyal today as they have ever been. This is the story of the man and his music...Customer Review: The definitive book on Michael Jackson's catalog This book tells the story and chart history for virtually every song Michael Jackson has released or been known to record going back to the earliest days with Steeltown Records, to Motown, to Epic Records, through to 2006. The amount of information is incredible. It's very well organized, so it's never overwhelming. I don't care as much for the stuff from the Jackson 5 days, but it's all there (and there's a lot of it). The best stuff for me is the material related to the hundreds of songs Michael has recorded as an adult- many of which remain unreleased. The authors reveal every last known detail regarding unreleased songs, as well as how they know they exist (Internet leaks, court documents, copyright filings, interview mentions, etc.) A must have for any Michael Jackson enthusiast. Customer Review: Very interesting!!! If you always wanted to know everything about Michael Jacksons music then this book 'For The Record' is highly recommended,it is ALL there!!! Great and very interesting book!!! | ||||||
Forever My Thriller: A Collection Of Michael Jackson Poetry And Short Stories This is just a collection of my Michael Jackson writings I've been inspired to make over the years. | ||||||
| The Picture Life of Michael Jackson A biography of the shy young singing superstar from Gary, Indiana, who first became famous while performing with his brothers as the Jackson Five. Customer Review: This is better than most older books on MIchael I have to say other than all of this book being in black and white, except the cover it's a cool book. THere are pictures of michael with his white glove pre Motown 1983. Alot of Triumph tour pictures and some 1984 pictures. It goes all the way up to the Pepsi commercials. Alot of the pictures though from the 80's I have already and plus they are in color so that's kinda a down for the book. that's about it. it's a kid book like marvelous michael jackson or this is michael jackson or like that. peace | ||||||
Hidden Currents (Drake Sisters, Book 7) In her Drake Sisters novels, #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan delivers “everything her fans have come to expect†(Publishers Weekly). Now, she exceeds expectations as the fate of all seven sisters depends on the destiny of one. | ||||||
Beer Hunter, Whisky Chaser: New Writing on Beer and Whisky in Honour of Michael Jackson Leading international writers on beer and whisky have joined together in a unique project to celebrate the enduring legacy of celebrated drinks writer Michael Jackson (65), who died in August 2007 having suffered from Parkinson s disease for over a decade. They have each donated a piece of new writing to Beer Hunter, Whisky Chaser, launched on March 27, 2009 to mark Jackson s birth date. All proceeds from the publication, which was supported by leading single malt whisky The Glenlivet, will be donated to the Parkinson s Disease Society of the UK.Editor Ian Buxton, who conceived the project, said Michael Jackson dominated the world of both beer and whisky writing for two decades and was hugely influential in both real ale and single malt whisky. A complete generation of writers has cause to be grateful to him, not to mention countless brewers and distillers. This new book honours that legacy. He concludes: If variety is what you celebrate in your choice of whisky or beer, then this is truly a joyous and eclectic celebration of a life well-lived. We have sought to honour Michael with words, fresh and new writing on beer and whisky that he would have enjoyed reading; that he would have respected; that he might even have wished to have written himself. The collaborators represent a roll of honor from drinks writing: (in alphabetical order) Stephen Beaumont, Dave Broom, Ian Buxton, John Hansell, Julie Johnson, Charles MacLean, Hans Offringa, F Paul Pacult, Roger Protz, Lucy Saunders, Conrad Seidl, Carolyn Smagalski and Gavin D Smith. | ||||||
Michael Jackson's Great Beer Guide The world's 500 best beers! Which beers are the best? Get the inside stories on Czech pilseners, German lagers, Belgian wheat beers and Trappist brews, classic British ales, Irish stouts, and American microbrews. The shelves of the supermarkets are packed with an every-changing array of beers from around the world. Bars, pubs, restaurants, and clubs stock an ever-greater range. Which will suit your tastes? Which is the beer for the moment? Will this beer be light, crisp, and refreshing; this one sweet, that one dry and bitter? TV Beer Hunter Michael Jackson has tasted them all. He describes the flavor and body of each beer, explains why beers taste the way they do, notes their strength and ideal serving temperature. Spot the best beers with aid of superbly shot photographs, each showing the bottle, label, and the properly poured beer in its ideal glass. Never before has beer looked so beautiful. | ||||||
Common Sense (Great Books in Philosophy) The Anglo-American writer and political theorist Thomas Paine (1737-1809) boldly spoke out for social and political reforms, and played an active role in the American War of Independence. His great and highly influential pamphlet, "Common Sense", published in January 1776, was the first bold, explicit assault on monarchical rule, and the first advocacy of the American colonies' independence from Britain. Written in clear language, "Common Sense" laid out how an independent government could be established and controlled by the people, and how rich and poor alike could share equally in privileges and duties. It was Paine's enlightened contention that in order to ensure liberty, no special preferments should be attached to any one religious sect, but that religious diversity should be respected.Customer Review: Law is king As a political pamphlet with influence, Common Sense is a rival to the Communist Manifesto, as far as sheer power of impact is concerned. How does one review such an historical world heritage treasure? By praising its abundance of sharp aphorisms? Lame. By pointing out one or the other flaw in its logic? Useless. By recounting its setting, reasoning, and impact? Redundant. By looking at reviews in the amazoo and wondering about the state of confusion that has the continent in its grip? (One of them has a radical left dictatorship in the US during the early 2000s, the W-years! How funny can you get?) That would be an amusing pastime, but unfair to TP, who had enough unfairness to deal with in his real time life. No posthumous nonsense needed. So, briefly, what is the point of the exercise? Common sense dictated that America could not remain a colony of England. Isn't it obvious? A small island near Europe to continue ruling a continent across an ocean, settled mostly by non-Englismen? And the English minority there largely emigrated to get away from the mother island? And as a matter of course, the break-away independent continent must be a republic. It must have a President and a Congress, and a national charter, securing freedom and property to all men, and the free exercise of religion. In America, the law is king! (Elsewhere, the king is law.) And by the way, the time to do this is NOW. And, (ceterum censeo), America needs a navy! This is 1776. Let me conclude with a quote. `As to religion, I hold it to be in the indispensable duty of all government, to protect all conscientious professions thereof, and I know no other business which government hath to do therewith.' I have not seen a clearer plea for the separation of state and church. It wouldn't be worth emphasizing this point, if it were not denied here by some. Customer Review: Everyone should reqad this If we are to be the kind of American citizens that our country first foresaw, we should read this and several other publications....that is, educate ourselves about our country, where it was headed, who was getting it there, and why. Otherwise we won't recognize what is being taken from us this very day! IN school these days we don't learn about our history and the people who made it and we MUST! Our very freedom is in jeopardy and we must protect it! | ||||||
| The Great Gatsby (Transaction Large Print Books) In 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald announced his decision to write "something new--something extraordinary and beautiful and simple + intricately patterned." That extraordinary, beautiful, intricately patterned, and above all, simple novel became The Great Gatsby, arguably Fitzgerald's finest work and certainly the book for which he is best known. A portrait of the Jazz Age in all of its decadence and excess, Gatsby captured the spirit of the author's generation and earned itself a permanent place in American mythology. Self-made, self-invented millionaire Jay Gatsby embodies some of Fitzgerald's--and his country's--most abiding obsessions: money, ambition, greed, and the promise of new beginnings. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning--" Gatsby's rise to glory and eventual fall from grace becomes a kind of cautionary tale about the American Dream. It's also a love story, of sorts, the narrative of Gatsby's quixotic passion for Daisy Buchanan. The pair meet five years before the novel begins, when Daisy is a legendary young Louisville beauty and Gatsby an impoverished officer. They fall in love, but while Gatsby serves overseas, Daisy marries the brutal, bullying, but extremely rich Tom Buchanan. After the war, Gatsby devotes himself blindly to the pursuit of wealth by whatever means--and to the pursuit of Daisy, which amounts to the same thing. "Her voice is full of money," Gatsby says admiringly, in one of the novel's more famous descriptions. His millions made, Gatsby buys a mansion across Long Island Sound from Daisy's patrician East Egg address, throws lavish parties, and waits for her to appear. When she does, events unfold with all the tragic inevitability of a Greek drama, with detached, cynical neighbor Nick Carraway acting as chorus throughout. Spare, elegantly plotted, and written in crystalline prose, The Great Gatsby is as perfectly satisfying as the best kind of poem. | ||||||
Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4) Great love stories thrive on sacrifice. Throughout The Twilight Saga (Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse), Stephenie Meyer has emulated great love stories--Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights--with the fated, yet perpetually doomed love of Bella (the human girl) and Edward (the vampire who feeds on animals instead of humans). In Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final installment in the series, Bella’s story plays out in some unexpected ways. The ongoing conflicts that made this series so compelling--a human girl in love with a vampire, a werewolf in love with a human girl, the generations-long feud between werewolves and vampires--resolve pretty quickly, apparently so that Meyer could focus on Bella’s latest opportunity for self-sacrifice: giving her life for someone she loves even more than Edward. How close she comes to actually making that sacrifice is questionable, which is a big shift from the earlier books. Even though you knew Bella would make it through somehow, the threats to her life, and to her relationship with Edward, had previously always felt real. It’s as if Meyer was afraid of hurting her characters too much, which is unfortunate, because the pain Bella suffered at losing Edward in New Moon, and the pain Jacob suffered at losing Bella again and again, are the fire and the heart that drive the whole series. Diehard fans will stick with Bella, Edward, and Jacob for as many twists and turns as possible, but after most of the characters get what they want with little sacrifice, some readers may have a harder time caring what happens next. (Ages 12 and up) --Heidi BroadheadCustomer Review: read the book screw the audio well the chick who read the book for the audio is horrible. Thank God I got it used so I can return the damn thing.... Customer Review: Awful compared to "Twilight";had to force myself to get through After reading "Twilight", I could not wait for the rest of the books; it had been one of the best books I had read in a long time. The second book (New Moon) was okay, "Eclipse" came next and I felt the books were starting to get annoying, but since I had read the first three, I had to read the last one, "Breaking Dawn" and it was NOT easy; I thought it was one of the worst books I had ever read and I just wanted it to end. Bella becoming the love of a vampire as it started in "Twilight" was both different and exciting, but then moving on to this last book where she has this odd half-vampire baby and Jacob imprints some werewolf into the baby also, was just way too over-the-top. Add in the odd vampire battle that ensues with the Voltari, and it just got to the point of ridiculous, especially the corny attempts at humor in some places and Bella's ridiculous command of situations (when before she was a klutz who did nothing right); now in this book she comes off in parts as being more intelligent than any of the vampires and werewolves with her defiance. NOT recommended; VERY disappointing. | ||||||
Michael Jackson Conspiracy He was the pop icon the media loved to hate. Tremendously wealthy, inarguably eccentric, and one of the most famous people in the world, Michael Jackson was the unenviable target of constant public humiliation. The media poked fun at his skin, his features, his sexuality, and his lifestyle.Here, seasoned crime reporter Aphrodite Jones condemns the media for perpetuating hateful rumors and innuendoes, recounting just the sordid details, and reporting only the most despicable accusations and grisly charges made against Michael Jackson during his criminal trial. They had built a highly profitable industry around the superstar's "freaky life" and banked on his conviction. And, it turns out, they got it all wrong.In their efforts to make money and win ratings, the media missed the truth. It wasn't until after the "not guilty" verdict that Jones had the insight and courage to admit her own unintentional role in the frenzy surrounding the shocking testimony, high drama, and countless celebrities in Michael Jackson's high-profile criminal trial. Here, she makes amends with what is not only a truthful, well-documented chronicle of the entire trial but a powerful indictment against the media for conspiring to distort, dehumanize, and destroy Michael Jackson. Jones argues convincingly that the case against Jackson amounted to nothing more than a media-made, tax-paid scandal, and she makes an impassioned call to action for the public-at-large to think critically, question the integrity, and demand the truth in "the news".Customer Review: Aphrodite Jones: A Class Act I had the pleasure of being Aphrodite Jones's classmate and friend while we both were pursuing the MA (Long Island University) and the PhD in English and American Literature (New York University.) I came to know her well and I've followed her writing career. Apphy is an excellent reporter; her previous works attest to that. She traditionally tells her true crime stories from both sides -- as much as she is able to, given what she has to work with and whom is willing to speak with her. She's great at obtaining information that's a matter of public record. I like her writing style -- no small compliment from a veteran professor of English. I haven't read this book yet, but I will do so as soon as it arrives. Apphy set the bar high for her own reportage with her first book and she has evolved into a reporter-writer capable of meeting her own standards every time! Customer Review: great book There was indeed a conspiracy against michael jackson. After reading transcripts along with this book, I think it's quite obvious that nearly EVERY single prosecution witness was not telling the truth, Especially the so-called eye witnesses who all claimed to see michael jackson abusing a child and did'nt do a damn thing about it until money came along First of all, it is ridiculous as hell that one would file a "wrongful termination" lawsuit against someone who they claim is a "child molester", but that's exactly what ralph chacon, adriane mcmanus,and kassim abdool did. If these people really saw these heinous crimes that they alleged, then why the hell would they sue MJ after he fired them? would'nt they be happy to leave? or did they want to continue to work for a man who they claim to see having sex with young children? absouletly ridicious! and another thing is, how is it that all these people were actually seeing all this stuff? Child molesters and pedophiles are very covert people. They usually molest children behind closed doors. In order to believe these prior bad acts "witness" accounts, you would have to believe that michael jackson was a very reckless child molester. A man who molested children out in the open knowing very well that he had a house full of over 60 employees...LMAO Wow, I can't believe no one in the media picked up on any of this | ||||||
The Book Thief It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul. From the Hardcover edition. Customer Review: Great Book! This is probably the greatest book I have read in a really long time. It let's you see the Holocaust from a different perspective. Customer Review: Absolutely beautiful story This is an absolutely amazing story filled with such beautiful prose. I thoroughly enjoyed Death as the narrator. There are so many lessons to be learned. The character development is exquisite and this book will have you laughing and crying. It was a completely different side of Nazi Germany than is typically seen in most novels. I highly recommend it. | ||||||
From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 8) New in the “addicting†New York Times bestselling series featuring Sookie Stackhouse.After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the manmade explosion at the vampire summit, everyone—human and otherwise—is stressed, including Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who is trying to cope with the fact that her boyfriend Quinn has gone missing. It’s clear that things are changing—whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie—Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, leader of the local vampire community—is caught up in the changes. In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death, and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood finished flowing, her world will be forever altered. Customer Review: Charlaine Harris Rocks I've read the series of Sookie Stackhouse books 1-9 and they are very well done. Charlaine Harris is a clever author. I have enjoyed the books even more than the HBO series, which strays from the story line. If you like vampire books and the TruBlood series, you will find these books extremely entertaining. I couldn't put them down! I can't wait for the 10th one to come out in Oct.! Customer Review: sookie i love the sookie stackhouse books and this one is no exception charlaine harris really did it this time and i cant wait till the next book comes out! | ||||||
Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3) Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour the paperback edition Eclipse, the third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob --- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?Customer Review: Eclipse Eclipse (The Twilight Saga)Extremely interesting. This was a very good book. I couldn't put it down. Customer Review: Wonderful! SPOILER ALERT! First off, I only started reading the Twilight series AFTER I'd seen the movie, then I actually read Stephanie Meyer's Midnight Sun on her website before entering into the series. Perhaps it's because I came at this from a different order, but I feel that reading Edward's perspective of the love story between Bella and himself put some of the missing puzzles together. To be quite honest, I enjoyed reading from Edward's perspective much more than Bella's and I sincerely hope that she will finish Midnight Sun someday. But back to the critique... I think Stephanie Meyer did a fantastic job capturing the internal struggles that Bella faced with the decision of choosing Edward vs. Jacob. Although she loved Jacob, he would never fulfill her heart the way that Edward would. He was her soulmate, her reason for existence, she could not live without him. And although she loved Jacob and could envision the life (the normal life) that she might have had with Jacob, if she had chosen him, she would always been left wanting for more. Although she was heartbroken and in pain after she'd told Jacob her final decision, that pain was miles away in comparison to the months and months of torment that Edward's disappearance had done to her. She would be sad, hurt, but that type of pain that leaving Jacob would cause her is not the type that would leave her in a lifeless state. She understood herself and that is why she KNEW that being without Edward was unbearable, but being without Jacob would be hard, but she could endure. It's like when the first love ended, even though you find love again and could be happy, that first love will always hold a special place for you. For Bella, Edward was her first and one true love. The one that she knew she could not live without. It was a pure, innocent love that only a first love could be. With Jacob, her love was more of an "adult love." Not as fervent, not as crazed, it was a practical and realistic love, but it wasn't the life or death type of love she shared with Edward. It could be something that eventually made her happy, but it would be a type of happiness that would leave yearnings. I'd read many reviews before I borrowed this book to read. I found that many readers found the way that Edward seemed to have lost his "cockiness, arrogance, and edge" to be repulsive and was one of the many critiques that were thrown at Meyer's writing skill. I believe if the readers got a chance to read Midnight Sun and understand Edward's perspective (even though that work is far from complete and certainly doesn't even cover contents of Twilight entirely), it would make much more sense as to why Edward would act the way he does, putting up with everything that Bella would throw at him and allowing her find out how she felt about Jacob. Edward never felt he could deserve her, even from the very beginning when he realized he loved her. Just as she never felt good enough for him, he never felt good enough for her. I do not agree that Meyer seemed to be pitting Bella's 2 loves against each other in this battle of who loves Bella more. Both men are willing to do step back and accept whomever she chooses, in that way they are both honorable. But I did not feel that Bella was going back and forth trying to figure out who loved her more, she knew they both loved her unselfishly, to the extent that she did not deserve, but it was only at the end that Bella realized she did love Jacob as well, but not in the way that she would always love Edward. She had closed herself off to that possibility because Jacob represented everything that she would give up when she decided to join Edward and if she allowed herself to understand that, she could feel hesitant in her decision. Since she cannot live without Edward, the love of her entire existence, giving up Jacob was something that she knew she could and had to live with. | ||||||
Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) The book that started the phenomenon is now available in a deluxe collector's edition! Featuring a ribbon bookmark, cloth cover, ragged edges, new chapter opener designs, and a beautiful protective slipcase, this edition is perfect for fans and collectors alike.Bella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear. Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite. Customer Review: Twilight Hooked! I seen the movie, and loved it, so I decided to buy the books and see if its better then the movie like everyone else says, and yes it is. I love the books, am now finishing New Moon, cannot wait for the next copy. Customer Review: Twilight revies I wasn't sure if I was going to like this or not because it is in the "young reader" category, but I was surprised at how addictive this series is to just keep reading! I was a late bloomer starting these and was glad that I didn't have to wait until the next book came out to start reading again. I could just hop right into the next book when I was finished with one. Hope Stephanie has another series as good! | ||||||
| Michael Jackson: The Magic and The Madness | ||||||
Michael Jackson, the King of Pop: The Big Picture--The Music! The Man! The Legend! The Interviews: An Anthology Brings you right into Michael's heart and into his home, where you'll visit Neverland and learn about the secrets of his childhood. This INTERNATIONALLY BEST SELLING BOOK chronicles Michael Jackson's interviews with major talk show hosts and leading magazines, such as: Oprah Winfrey, Dianne Sawyer and Barbara Walters, USA Today, Vibe Magazine; and lists his songs, lyrics and films. Michael Jackson: King of Pop also features a 16-page color insert. TELLS IT ALL! This tell-all book includes chapters, such as: "Michael and His First Wife Lisa Marie", "Michael and His Second Wife Deborah Rowe", Michael in the Face of Negative Press", "Song Lyrics, Awards, Achievements and Films". As a huge Michael Jackson fan, author, Jel Lewis (Jones) wanted to do something special and give something back to the King of Pop. Her gift to him is this positive book about his life and his music career. According to Ms. Lewis (Jones), "I have admired and adored Michael Jackson from the first time I heard his name and listened to his music. I have never been more fascinated by an entertainer before or since. I have always wanted to meet him and get the opportunity to shake his hand for bringing so much love into the hearts of so many." | ||||||
Jacko, His Rise and Fall: The Social and Sexual History of Michael Jackson You've heard scattered segments of the MICHAEL JACKSON saga, but never in a smooth chronological progression that bonded all the elements together, and managed, en route, to include many of the entertainment industry s most intriguing celebrities: Jackie-O, the Reagans, the Bushes, the Windsors, the aristocracy of America s pop culture, and many of the movie stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. They all opened their doors and sometimes their arms to MICHAEL, the Gloved One, the Thriller. From humble beginnings as a bubblegum star in Gary, Indiana, to his unenviable role as the most famous, and most maligned, celebrity in the world, this comprehensive biography reveals the good, the bad, the ugly, and in some cases, carefully documented interludes so bizarre as to be virtually unbelievable. It's the publishing industry's first comprehensive overview of a career that could only have happened in America. In March of 2006, The Sunday Times of London referred to Darwin Porter's biography of Marlon Brando as "Lurid, raunchy, perceptive, and definitely worth reading," and Australia s Women s Weekly referred to it as being as X-rated as Brando himself. WAIT TILL THEY SEE WHAT HE'S DONE WITH MICHAEL JACKSON! NO ONE, until now, has ever published a full journalistic overview of a superstar whose fame equals, (and possibly exceeds) that of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, the Queen of England, and the Pope. But here it is, at last: MICHAEL, The Gloved One, the Thriller, the pop star whose antics onstage and off have generated more ink, episodically, than any other living entertainer. Jacko, His Rise and Fall: The Social and Sexual History of Michael Jackson. By Darwin Porter. Hardcover. 542 pages. with approximately 100 photographs and a detailed index listing references to the names of hundreds of celebrities and wannabes who interacted with or reacted to Michael in ways which, at the very least, were highly eccentric. In addition to the names cited aCustomer Review: - I've read a couple of Michael Jackson books, just because he's a very interesting person. One thing I found very annoying about this book was that, the author seems to have problems staying at one chapter of Michael's life and continue with the same story until its actual finished, and then start with another. The time line is also very confusing; there were a lot of mistakes. Like, when he tells one part about Michael's life in the late 70's, it'll suddenly skip to Michael's Thriller days then back again to the late 70's and some of his facts are just absolute Bull. Another thing I got annoyed by was the fact that the author kept addressing Michael Jackson as Wacko Jacko (Thus, the cover title). Which professional writer goes by a tabloid name that was given to Michael, rather then just simply using Michael Jackson? Obviously the author believes more to that Michael, is a pedophile. Not only is the title unprofessional, the paper is very newspaper like, and plus the ads at the end of the book, that was lame. Some of the references the author made in this book are already made public as rumors, and yet he puts them as facts. There's no doubt that there are some interesting TRUE facts in this book, and you can find these facts in other more interesting Michael Jackson books. Now if you're an Obsessed Michael Jackson fan, who takes every word seriously and who are overly sensitive over Michael Jackson's life should not buy this book. When I was reading this book, I kept an open mind and I know what sounds right and what smells like BS. Most of the author's sources are from other books about Michael Jackson, and it seems like every tabloid story (That were written in the books the author used as reference) was the author's main interest. I guess this book is what the author believes, All the rumors, all the accusations, all the stories, he compiled them told Michael Jackson's story the way the author feels is what happened in Michael's life. Some are true, some are completely ridiculous. It all comes down to opinion, and my opinion is that this book is the author's point of view on Michael's life. For people who want to know about Michael Jackson out of curiosity/love/hate or whatever, just buy the book by J Randy Taraborrelli, The Magic and the Madness, the latest edition. It's the most realistic book ever written about Michael and very interesting. Again, if you're obsessed with Michael Jackson you should probably buy books that say "Michael the king/Angel/God" 100x, if that only satisfies you. Another book that is very good (About the trial in 2005) is Michael Jackson conspiracy by Aphrodite Jones. Overall, this book is based on rumors and it may be interesting but it's not factual. Customer Review: The tragedy of an idol For the start, I always considered myself a die-hard Jackson fan. I loved his music, his incredible abilities of a performer, everything. But I must say that this book goes just a little bit too far for my liking. It's full of sickening revelations I was not happy to read. Yes, it is a collection of amazing facts, a splendidly written biography, but... I feel bitter about every page i read because it seems to me that finally I got my answer to the question about MJ's sexual preferences. I have read numerous other books, but none of them made me so bitter as this one. Bitter not about the fact that MJ seems to prefer boys for company, but the reason why it happened so - all the beatings, all the childhood he never had, all these strip-shows he had to see before he even knew anything about sex, the perverse relations of many Hollywood stars he had to witness. But, honestly, I could not care less about his private life. He may be anyone and anything - a homo, a pedophile (not that I approve it), a transvestite, for all I care. I shall never stop loving him and his music because his music and his talent are above all this dirt. His music saved my life once, and I can never forget that. But I'm warning the fans - you better not read this if you don't think you can cope with what's inside. Go for some "nicer" books which create a positive image, because this one creates quite the opposite. | ||||||
Obsessions: The Shocking True Story of the Real Billie Jean in Michael Jackson's Life Delve into a world of intrigue, love, sex and manipulation as you enter the real life world of Theresa Gonsalves, known as the real Billie Jean in Michael Jackson's life! Theresa Gonsalves grew up in a fantasy world of Michael Jackson. She wrote him numerous letters that intrigued him which led Michael to cultivate a relationship with her after they meet on her 16th birthday. As time goes on, the friendship between them is nurtured. But while trying to develop a relationship with another man, Theresa finds herself pregnant and turns to Michael. Her baby's father denies the kid as being his son. Michael is privy to this information and soon the song Billie Jean is released. When Star Magazine finds out about their relationship, they dub her the Real Billie Jean in Michael Jackson's life, as many believe the song was written about her. By nurturing this fantasy come true, Theresa never learned to grow in other man-woman relationships leading to the development of an alter personality called Terri. Terri would surface whenever she felt Theresa needed avenging! Theresa endures many trials in her life from being neglected by her mother, to being raped; to finding, she has a terminal disease. She finds love with Vincent Oliver. Vincent Oliver, a good looking man living with psychological issues of his own, lives his life by a prophecy set upon his mother's death. By not accepting his mother's death his psychological make up becomes scrambled as he takes on the life of a dissociative liar, becoming a chameleon. He seeks love, respect and adoration as he takes on different personalities.truly believing, he was a different person in each context. Theresa and Vincent become obsessed with each other in a variety of ways, making the relationship endure what should have destroyed it. They were obsessed with each other sexually.obsessed with each other's touch, scent and overall being. They survive many manipulative and fatal acts by one another even as Theresa gives birth to his son. As they overcome these issues, they finally settle down and begin planning their lives together. However, unbeknownst to Theresa, he is still married to Cynthia and in yet another relationship with Edna, while venturing into the world of sex clubs and what now is referred to as being on the down-low! In addition, Vincent, an educated man with a master's degree, takes on the personality of a thief and embezzles 250K and when Theresa finds out about his deceptions, Terri decides to turn him in to the Secret Service. As she does so, Vincent turns into a chameleon once again as he and his father discuss plans to kill her!Customer Review: havent gotten I'm pissed because I haven't gotten it. I ordered it the first week in december and I still haven't gotten it. Customer Review: Sum wild type --ish~ this book was interesting, i had to keep reading just to see where theresa would end up even though the title was misleading-makin you think this book is about sum chick stalkn michael jackson- it kinda lead the way to her obsession with the bisexual nymphomaniac...he was trippn right? LOL but ummmm what cracked me up was the phenomenal bisexual guy...a piece of work! All i kept thinkn was oh-no/no-he-didnt and this-is-how-mens-minds work~ so sad but many of us women allow ourselves to be used and abused, but you cannot blame the man for all that happened...no no no, she victimized herself by not loving herself enough to let go...sometimes loving sum1 too much can hurt you [this leads me to a new motto i have: 'never allow some1 to be your main focus while YOU remain an option to them...] hell yea~ | ||||||
| Michael Jackson's Malt Whisky Companion This is a guide to all of the single malt whiskies of Scotland. It is designed to be of interest to the discerning whisky drinker or for those interested in exploring the pleasures of whisky drinking. The book features tasting notes for over 250 different malts from a total of 120 distilleries and includes a rating system, giving a score for both the whisky and the distillery as a whole. Michael Jackson is the author of "World Guide to Whisky". Customer Review: focussed on the rare... I have the 1999 edition of this authors' book & it remains possibly the best edition.This new 2004 edition is more devoted to rare malts the likes of which many of us won't ever see/taste/afford. He unfortunatly focuses more on these rare bottlings at the expense of reviewing more commonly available (& affordable!) malts.For example,he doesn't discuss the 12,15 & 17 yr Bowmores,all fine,reasonable-priced & readily found.He fails to mention Laphroig's "UIGEDAIL" malt, offers poor reviews of "Fettercairn" & appears to have mis-stated alcohol content a few times.This edition is also more focussed on special-finishes; port,rum,claret etc.It also shows no shortage of his almost bizarre tasting notes "fiddlehead ferns with butter" and "starched linen".Yikes! Generally a good reference book with some decent photos & notes-of-interest... but not without it's disappointments. Customer Review: Best tasting guide on Whisky! Since the beginning of the 90s, the number of single malt whiskys has tremendously increased. The pocket book is an excellent companion to the whisky amateur and will help you to select the whisky you want. Distillery details are limited to the essential, but contain enough details and are well written. It is probably the most comprehensive, extensive and recent tasting book that you can get. Please note that this book is a tasting guide and not on whisky's history! | ||||||
His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1) This special signed edition of Naomi Novik's debut novel will be limited to only 500 numbered copies, signed by the author.Customer Review: Interesting lighter fantasy I was pleased to find this free for Kindle as I'd been meaning to check out this series for a while. While I enjoyed the book and found it a fresh twist on the draconic theme, I was a bit disappointed by the depth. This is not an intense masterwork of fantasy by any stretch, but rather a light read on a par with many young adult novels. I would recommend the book to any fantasy, dragon, or history fan. It is neatly written and a pleasure to read. Don't try this when looking for a go-to novel you will pick up again and again and find new insight every time- you will be disappointed. The battles are detailed, and all the dragons' care and handling are well explained and thought out. The angle is certainly unique and refreshing and I truly enjoyed this aspect. I think some readers may find the characters' a bit two-dimensional and the conversation forced. Some of this is due to the culture and custom of the time, but it tends to add to the novel's juvenile feel. Seperations of classes as well as military conduct are dealt with somewhat poorly and don't ring as true as they might. That being said, I will still try the rest of the series! A great book to read on vacation or in waiting rooms or when your life is full of stress-it won't add any intensity and give you a bit of a break. Customer Review: Like Master and Commander, but with dragons! I thought this was an awesome book...if you enjoyed Master and Commander and like fantasy, then here you are! This book is excellent, plenty of action, characters you can really care about and an engaging narrative. I highly recommned it! | ||||||
Michael Jackson's Complete Guide To Single Malt Scotch He's written shamelessly for more than a decade and a half about his passion for 12- and 15-year-olds. He's described his dalliances with loves named Heather and Peat and some three dozen named Glen. His name is Michael Jackson. Relax. We're talking here about the Britain-based, award-winning drinks and spirits writer and author of, among other classic reference works, Michael Jackson's Beer Companion. In Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, devotees of the dram can peruse the latest revised edition of the 1989 work. In 336 pages brimming with maps, photos, and informed overview of factors such as geography and flavor components--even proximity to the sea--Jackson sketches the evolution of Scotch whisky, from the prebottling days, when shopkeepers like Johnnie Walker and the Chivas Brothers would create their own blends for sale, to the late-1960s and 1970s' surge of individual distilleries marketing their own bottlings. Lamentably labeling the former as a time when "orchestrations drowned out the soloists," Jackson provides some sweet sheet music of his own: 294 pages are devoted to an A-to-Z review (including full-color labels and tasting notes) of more than 800 singles from "every Scottish malt distillery that has ever witnessed its product in a bottle." It's the perfect book to take to your local liquor store next time you're trying to navigate the high shelf of Scotland's highlands, lowlands, and islands. You may laugh at Jackson's description of Auchentoshan Select's "oily" nose with "hints of citrus zest" or Aberlour 10-year-old's "mint-toffee" bouquet. But you'll be laughing out of the other side of your haggis when you actually smell them. All the notes are well researched and designed to appeal to Cardhu-carrying connoisseurs, as well as those who'd just like to know more about Bowmore. In his introduction, the author describes a whisky's finish as "a crescendo, followed by a series of echoes. When I leave the bottle, I like to be whistling the tune." Scotch drinkers will find plenty to wet that whistle in Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch. --Tony Mason | ||||||
The Last Child (Wheeler Large Print Book Series) John Hart’s New York Times bestselling debut, The King of Lies, announced the arrival of a major talent. With Down River, he surpassed his earlier success, transcending the barrier between thriller and literature and winning the 2008 Edgar Award for best novel. Now, with The Last Child, he achieves his most significant work to date, an intricate, powerful story of loss, hope, and courage in the face of evil. Customer Review: A real page turner! Great book! Good character development, twisted plot, and all the loose ends were neatly tied up by the author at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this title and will be recommending it to my friends. It was good to the last sentence. Customer Review: The Last Child I hate for his books to end. Each is a true reading pleasure. His novels are written very much in the Pat Conroy style. Can't wait for the next one!! | ||||||
The Graveyard Book In The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman has created a charming allegory of childhood. Although the book opens with a scary scene--a family is stabbed to death by "a man named Jack†--the story quickly moves into more child-friendly storytelling. The sole survivor of the attack--an 18-month-old baby--escapes his crib and his house, and toddles to a nearby graveyard. Quickly recognizing that the baby is orphaned, the graveyard's ghostly residents adopt him, name him Nobody ("Bod"), and allow him to live in their tomb. Taking inspiration from Kipling’s The Jungle Book, Gaiman describes how the toddler navigates among the headstones, asking a lot of questions and picking up the tricks of the living and the dead. In serial-like episodes, the story follows Bod's progress as he grows from baby to teen, learning life’s lessons amid a cadre of the long-dead, ghouls, witches, intermittent human interlopers. A pallid, nocturnal guardian named Silas ensures that Bod receives food, books, and anything else he might need from the human world. Whenever the boy strays from his usual play among the headstones, he finds new dangers, learns his limitations and strengths, and acquires the skills he needs to survive within the confines of the graveyard and in wider world beyond. (ages 10 and up) -–Heidi Broadhead Customer Review: "Ask For Me Tomorrow and You Shall Find Me a Grave Man!" Interestingly, Neil Gaiman says THE GRAVEYARD BOOK is his homage to Rudyard Kipling's THE JUNGLE BOOK. Apples and oranges, you say? Consider this: an orphaned boy (Bod here, Mowgli there) is taken in and raised by completely different creatures, only in this case, the surrogate parents are ghosts instead of animals. The conceit allows Gaiman all manner of creative maneuvers, too, from the main plot line of a mad killer pursuing his protagonist (Bod's family is killed by a man named Jack in Chapter One) to adventures in the graveyard with ghosts, witches, ghouls, and even buried treasures being protected by a curse. Bod, short for Nobody, is well-protected in the graveyard but of course yearns to explore the land of the living outside its gates. This natural yearning enables Gaiman to create suspense as Jack, who has a preternatural sense of smell, seems to sniff the boy's presence out each time he leaves the safe confines of the graveyard. Luckily Bod has an immense mentor named Silas, best developed of the minor characters, who constantly comes to his rescue and offers sage advice. Silas is neither ghost nor living man. It's not explained exactly what he is, but this only adds to his allure. Although a few chapters read almost like detachable short stories (especially the ghoul one) and a few of the characters are left undeveloped when they have so much promise (his pert teacher, Miss Lepuscu, for one), the book is overall must-read material with a roaring finish that will embrace even the most reluctant readers. It is also one of those enviable YA books that adults will be equally charmed by (meaning, in the Harry Potter vein). Recommended, whether you are a Halloween freak or not. Customer Review: I loved this book! This is a delightful story of love, friendship, and sacrifice that I couldn't put down. There is nothing in it that I wouldn't want my kids reading, and I don't understand some of the negative reviews regarding violence and it being too dark for children. Never read fairy tales as a kid? How about Greek and Roman mythology? Cultures have always used "scary" stories to teach lessons about life, and this story isn't even scary. Much better than most of the young adult/children's books out recently. | ||||||
Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 1) Anthony Award winner Charlaine Harris New York Times and USA Today best-selling Sookie Stackhouse novels entice countless fans with an irresistible mixture of vampire romance, beguiling mystery, and old-fashioned Southern charm. Vampires have officially come out of the coffin, and Miss Sookie cant wait for one to come her way.Customer Review: Fun story with a fast pace A friend recommended the True Blood series to me and when I read that it came from a book series, I just had to get the book. I wasn't disappointed. Although I still haven't watched TB, I have finished reading Charlaine Harris' first novel in the series. I was immediately hooked. Normally, when I think about characters with supernatural powers, I think about cocky or arrogant people who flaunt what makes them special. Not with Sookie. She considers her ability to read peoples' thoughts a disability. She's a quirky, confident woman who works in a bar as a waitress. She has learned to block out most voices, but some still come through. Then she meets her vampire (as vampires are now an accepted part of society) and her world changes. Suddenly danger and tragedy seem to follow her. Naturally, suspicion falls on the new being in town and Sookie has to use her disability to try to help her beau, her brother and herself. Overall, a great story. It's fun, and refreshing, yet has enough tension and sadness weaved in to complete it. I enjoyed reading about Sookie and seeing the way she viewed the world. I'm looking forward to watching it on DVD, although I know that novels rarely translate well to TV. Customer Review: Not Just for Vampire Lovers I had heard of individuals raving about True Blood, a show on HBO, but was not much interested because I'm not big into fantasy/vampires (I did read the Twilight series and found it enjoyable, but had no desire to seek other vampire fiction). The television series eventually got book enthusiasts talking about the writing the television show was based on, which prompted me to give it a try. In the beginning of the book I thought I had perhaps made a mistake - the vampire theme was still slightly sketchy to me, and lots of characters were being introduced, making it more of a complicated read. Eventually I got everything straight and found myself loving the plot - Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress in a bar, meets a vampire (Bill). In this novel, vampires are allowed to live among humans, and everyone is aware that they are vampires (something different from the Twilight series). Bill has been trying to "mainstream," or drink artificial blood and actually be a part of a community. Shortly after Sookie and Bill meet, several murders happen around the town to women who have been known to associate with vampires, and have been found with bite marks, making it slightly more difficult for Bill to blend in. There is a great mix of romance and mystery in this book, and I did not figure out the mystery bit until it was revealed to me in the manuscript (which I love, as some mystery novels have rather obvious outcomes). I am very much looking forward to reading the remaining books in this series - I find myself wondering how Bill and Sookie are doing as I am in between books, so I am glad there are several others for me to read! | ||||||
Be Careful Who You Love: Inside the Michael Jackson Case Diane Dimond, who broke the story first, over twelve years ago Michael Jackson has long captured the world's attention, first as the dynamic lead singer of the Jackson Five, then during his highly successful breakout solo career. But somewhere along the line Jackson transformed himself into something hardly recognizable and was investigated -- not once, but twice -- for crimes we could hardly imagine. Even now, after his unexpected acquittal on multiple charges of child molestation, there is a sense that the real truth behind the allegations is not known. The character of Michael Jackson -- from his humble beginnings to his rich career and the birth of Neverland Ranch -- is destined for great debate among fans, journalists, historians, and psychiatrists for years to come. In the meantime, there is Diane Dimond, the journalist of record on the Jackson case. In November 2003, when the Santa Barbara county sheriff's department conducted another raid on Neverland Ranch, Diane Dimond and her camera crews were the only ones there to capture the moment and report the news to the world. Now, for the first time, Dimond recounts the multifaceted details of the Jackson case, utilizing her extensive notes and sources. What she tells us is a shocking story. Be Careful Who You Love will take you behind the scenes and into the courtroom of one of the most controversial cases of the decade, while giving readers a dramatic glimpse of one reporter's vigilance and unending quest to uncover the truth. | ||||||
Vision in White (The Wedding Quartet, Book 1) #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts invites readers to the wedding event of the year!#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts presents her first trade original—a novel of love, friendship, and family—Book One in the Bride Quartet. Wedding photographer Mackensie “Mac†Elliot is most at home behind the camera, but her focus is shattered moments before an important wedding rehearsal when she bumps into the bride-to-be’s brother…an encounter that has them both seeing stars. A stable, safe English teacher, Carter Maguire is definitely not Mac’s type. But a casual fling might be just what she needs to take her mind off bridezillas. Of course, casual flings can turn into something more when you least expect it. And Mac will have to turn to her three best friends—and business partners—to see her way to her own happy ending. Customer Review: Vision in White I've been reading Nora Roberts for years. I generally pre-order her books from Amazon and wait with anticipation for it to arrive. Vision in White was a disappointment. It was a sweet story but not compelling. I wasn't drawn to pick up the book and read. I found this story full of too much fluff and not enough plot. I'll give the next book in the series a try but, if it's like this one, I won't buy any of the others. Customer Review: Lovely! I loved this book!!As I got closer to the end of the book; I just didn't want the end to get there, I can't wait for the sequel to be out as I know it will be great also! Wonderful book!!!!! | ||||||
Michael Jackson American Master Customer Review: so many lives touched ...He's touched so many, especially the children, in his own unique way. I hope he finds a very special place where he can be touched in that same way for many, many years. Customer Review: I haven't read it yet, but I know it's going to be excellent Michael Jackson is the man! No other male singer can compare. I mean I love other artists but Michael is just a genius. Now I haven't read this book yet but all I know is that anything that is put out about Michael (Positive of course) or about any other Jackson family member for that matter is going to be excellent. | ||||||
| Michael Jackson Stor Customer Review: good debut book by Nelson George I remember back in 83 buying this book. this was Nelson George's first Book. it was a quick cool read on MJ from his Jackson five days through "Thriller". it had some random things about MJ's favorite artists&things which was cool. i remember lending this book to a Chick I was digging back in the day. about 8-9 years ago I went into a Used Book store&Found this Book again. I got it again. Huge MJ fan&always will be. Huge Respect&Props to Nelson George as well. Customer Review: Michael fans of the eighties Okay, folks, like a lot of books from the eighties eras written about michael, basically they're the same thing. the authors seem to copy each other. so basically this book is like Mark Bego's books about Michael. The cover is of Michael in the Beat It Jacket. with like blue lights gleaming all on the cover. | ||||||
| Brave New World (Transaction Large Print Books) "Community, Identity, Stability" is the motto of Aldous Huxley's utopian World State. Here everyone consumes daily grams of soma, to fight depression, babies are born in laboratories, and the most popular form of entertainment is a "Feelie," a movie that stimulates the senses of sight, hearing, and touch. Though there is no violence and everyone is provided for, Bernard Marx feels something is missing and senses his relationship with a young women has the potential to be much more than the confines of their existence allow. Huxley foreshadowed many of the practices and gadgets we take for granted today--let's hope the sterility and absence of individuality he predicted aren't yet to come. Customer Review: A tour de force It looks like Aldous Huxley wrote this book as a reaction to some of the Utopian books that authors like HG Wells wrote glorifying scientific progress. Huxley wrote this vision of dystopia and was a few years ahead of the more famous George Orwell's 1984. It is amazing to me that Aldous Huxley wrote this in 1931. Here is a list of things he manages to predict will come true in the brave new world of ours: - Bell Bottoms! (this is true..he predicted bell bottom pants) - LSD. He calls it Soma. - Cloning - Anti-depressant drugs - Helicopter Taxis (well, we dont have these yet - although there is a helicopter taxi from Wall Street to JFK airport) - Contraception - Test Tube babies - Sexual Revolution - Unlimited consumption - Planned obsolesence - Instant gratification - Atheistic societies (maybe this was already there in Leninist Russia - can't say) - Social Engineering (think Great Society or the Great Leap Forward) - Botox and cosmetic surgery - Vaccination (this I dont know if it already existed then) - Super bugs - Brain washing These are some things I just happen to remember off the top of my head. There are tons more like that. I found that while the style of the book is fiction, the heart of the book is non-fiction. I was a bit scared that this book might end up like an Ayn Rand dissertation of objectivism. My chief complaint with Ayn Rand is that she created cardboard characters that mouth her philosophy. Aldous Huxley thankfully escapes that fate (but barely!) His characters are still emotionally shallow and the interactions superficial. But there is just enough juice in the plot (although riddled with coincidences) that propels you through his vision. True to form, several years later he wrote a sequel called 'Brave New World Revisited', where he dispenses with the fiction and just wrote it as a series of essays. Some themes from the book: I. We look for mitigating strategies for every problem we face. Pain medication for pain. Anti-depressant medication for depression. Video games or TV for boredom. Botox for skin sag. And on and on and on. This feels like we want to escape life rather than live it. I am obviously not saying don't take Tylenol. But I suppose I am saying that the sum total of all our consumption is tending towards an escape from living life. II. Our best efforts to 'control' nature is futile for two reasons. One nature will overwhelm us. And two, we are not separate from nature - we ARE nature. III. We are creatures of conditioning. We should set aside hours in a day and days in a month to carefully consider our in-built assumptions about the world, about our society and fellow living beings and ourselves to figure out whether we are operating on platitudes or operating on what we arrive at for ourselves as the truth. i.e. leading the examined life IV. When cultures clash, it is of serious consequence. (It is happening today as we can see between religions and between societies). The clash is because of a radically different set of assumptions within each culture that views its own values as good and the other culture's values as not just different, but antithetical and inimcal. Overall, this is one of the most satifisfying books I have been through in a long time. Protienaceous and not bubble-gum! Having said that the fiction layer was mediocre at best, and the non-fiction layer was a tour de force. Customer Review: Scary but true. Bought for a school assignment. Read it; and was kinda grossed but laughed at most of the things supposebly scary. eh im just demented. | ||||||
| Pride & Prejudice In a remote Hertfordshire village, far off the good coach roads of George III's England, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet -- a country squire of no great means and his scatterbrained wife -- must marry off their five vivacious daughters. At the heart of this all-consuming enterprise are the headstrong second daughter Elizabeth and her aristocratic suitor Fitzwilliam Darcy, two lovers in whom pride and prejudice must be overcome before love can bring the novel to its magnificent conclusion. Customer Review: Nice For Some, Maybe Even Most, But Sadly Not For Me Nice For Some Maybe Even Most, But Sadly Not My Cup of Tea To those of you who adore Jane Austen please try not to take it personally that I did not love this book, it is not an insult to you OR her. I have traditionally avoided the classics but made a recent resolution to try some. I made a list of a dozen or so and have had mixed results so far. I think that my expectations were too high, I was expecting something like Jane Eyre, which I loved. Unfortunately I found 'Pride and Prejudice' a little too frivolous for my tastes. Perhaps if I had known what I was getting before I started I would have been less disappointed? It felt like a fluffy romance novel, which I do not in general care for. I love a good love story, part of why I loved Jane Eyre. Maybe if it had been called 'Pretty Girls Out Husband Hunting' or 'Lydia Lands In a Jam' or something equally silly I would have known what I was in for. Maybe this wasn't the best first Jane Austen novel to read? I'm not sure if I will be reading another. Okay, I know that 655 of you loved this and many of you will have to give me a negative vote because we don't agree...So, let the negative votes begin *winces*. Customer Review: Classic Literature I am trying to read more classics because I never really paid attention to them in high school. I started reading this one and at first I was having a hard time getting into it, it is a bit slow. But by the second half of the book I couldn't put it down. Terrific love story, literature at its finest. | ||||||
The Five Love Languages: How To Express Heartfelt Commitment To Your Mate (Walker Large Print Books) Unhappiness in marriage often has a simple root cause: we speak different love languages, believes Dr. Gary Chapman. While working as a marriage counselor for more than 30 years, he identified five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. In a friendly, often humorous style, he unpacks each one. Some husbands or wives may crave focused attention; another needs regular praise. Gifts are highly important to one spouse, while another sees fixing a leaky faucet, ironing a shirt, or cooking a meal as filling their "love tank." Some partners might find physical touch makes them feel valued: holding hands, giving back rubs, and sexual contact. Chapman illustrates each love language with real-life examples from his counseling practice. How do you discover your spouse’s – and your own – love language? Chapman’s short questionnaires are one of several ways to find out. Throughout the book, he also includes application questions that can be answered more extensively in the beautifully detailed companion leather journal (an exclusive Amazon.com set). Each section of the journal corresponds with a chapter from the book, offering opportunities for deeper reflection on your marriage. Although some readers may find choosing to love a spouse that they no longer even like –hoping the feelings of affection will follow later– a difficult concept to swallow, Chapman promises that the results will be worth the effort. "Love is a choice," says Chapman. "And either partner can start the process today." --Cindy Crosby. This text refers to the Amazon.com Exclusive Journal & Paperback Book Set. | ||||||
Skin Trade (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 17) A proven series with a hot new look. The #1 bestselling author returns with her most anticipated novel yet.When a vampire serial killer sends Anita Blake a grisly souvenir from Las Vegas, she has to warn Sin City’s local authorities what they’re dealing with. Only it’s worse than she thought. Ten officers and one executioner have been slain—paranormal style. Anita heads to Vegas, where’s she’s joined by three other federal marshals, including the ruthless Edward. It’s a good thing he always has her back, because when she gets close to the bodies, Anita senses “tiger†too strongly to ignore it. The weretigers are very powerful in Las Vegas, which means the odds of her rubbing someone important the wrong way just got a lot higher. Customer Review: Anything with Edward is an improvment!!! This book is the best one since OB. I love it when edward is in it, and that was the only reason I bought it. I have been reading most of the last few from the library. But I'm glad I purchased it. I think she did a great job this time. Customer Review: Another Disappointment As someone who considers the first 10 or so Anita Blake books to be among the best fantasy/paranormal/kickbutt books I have ever read (and reread), it is inexplicable to me how her last books are such unfocused and overblown messes (Micah is one of the worst books I ever made myself finish). Adding to the frustration is the fact that glimpses of the writer she could still be pop up sporadically in this book (such as when Edward says something like "We're not good people, Anita; we're necessary people"). I love dialog, but her dialog DROWNS her books now, and lately it reads like mentally challenged teenagers arguing - it goes on and on, repeating labored ideas incessantly. And - as a man - I think I can say with some authority, that NO MAN ON EARTH (or former men [vampires], or were-men, etc.) has ever engaged in conversations like these. I am also somewhat disturbed how in every book lately the point is made that Anita enjoys painful sex (with men who are physically "blessed") - TMI, Ms. Hamilton, TMI. | ||||||
The Trials of Michael Jackson Customer Review: Short, unpertinent and deceivingThe theory of the Sony Corporation trying to destroy Michael Jackson's carrier in order to buy him out of the ATV catalogue seems far fetched and exagerated. This book is more about Sony than the Pop star so if you want to have a more accurate version of the story, read J. R. Taraborrelli's book. Customer Review: Michael Jackson is 100% INNOCENT! Incredible. That's the only word I can use to describe this book. I spoke with Thomas Mesereau (Michael Jackson's lead defense attorney for his trial) and he had recommended I get this book. I'm so glad I did. If you want to know why it's wonderful, BUY IT!!! It's definitely worth the money!! And one last thing... MICHAEL JACKSON IS 100% INNOCENT! | ||||||
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time (Wheeler Large Print Book Series) The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban’s backyard Anyone who despairs of the individual’s power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson’s quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit. | ||||||
The Strain: Book One of The Strain Trilogy Amazon Best of the Month, June 2009: Who better to reinvent the vampire genre than Guillermo Del Toro, the genius behind Pan's Labyrinth, and Chuck Hogan, master of character-driven thrillers like Prince of Thieves? The first of a trilogy, The Strain is everything you want from a horror novel--dark, bloody, and packed full of mayhem and mythology. But, be forewarned, these are not like any vampires you've met before--they're not sexy or star-crossed or "vegetarians"--they are hungry, they are connected, and they are multiplying. The vampire virus marches its way across New York, and all that stands between us and a grotesque end are a couple of scientists, an old man with a decades-old vendetta, and a young boy. This first installment moves fast and sets up the major players, counting down to the beginning of the end. Great summer reading. --Daphne Durham Book Description
A Boeing 777 arrives at JFK and is on its way across the tarmac, when it suddenly stops dead. All window shades are pulled down. All lights are out. All communication channels have gone quiet. Crews on the ground are lost for answers, but an alert goes out to the CDC. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of their Canary project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats, gets the call and boards the plane. What he finds makes his blood run cold. In a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, a former professor and survivor of the Holocaust named Abraham Setrakian knows something is happening. And he knows the time has come, that a war is brewing . . . So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected New York begins to spill out into the streets. Eph, who is joined by Setrakian and a motley crew of fighters, must now find a way to stop the contagion and save his city--a city that includes his wife and son--before it is too late. The Strain: Chapter One "Once upon a time," said Abraham Setrakian’s grandmother, "there was a giant." Young Abraham’s eyes brightened, and immediately the cabbage borscht in the wooden bowl got tastier, or at least less garlicky. He was a pale boy, underweight and sickly. His grandmother, intent on fattening him, sat across from him while he ate his soup, entertaining him by spinning a yarn. A bubbeh meiseh, a "grandmother’s story." A fairy tale. A legend. "He was the son of a Polish nobleman. And his name was Jusef Sardu. Master Sardu stood taller than any other man. Taller than any roof in the village. He had to bow deeply to enter any door. But his great height, it was a burden. A disease of birth, not a blessing. The young man suffered. His muscles lacked the strength to support his long, heavy bones. At times it was a struggle for him just to walk. He used a cane, a tall stick--taller than you--with a silver handle carved into the shape of a wolf’s head, which was the family crest." "Yes, Bubbeh?" said Abraham, between spoonfuls. "This was his lot in life, and it taught him humility, which is a rare thing indeed for a nobleman to possess. He had so much compassion-- for the poor, for the hardworking, for the sick. He was especially dear to the children of the village, and his great, deep pockets--the size of turnip sacks--bulged with trinkets and sweets. He had not much of a childhood himself, matching his father’s height at the age of eight, and surpassing him by a head at age nine. His frailty and his great size were a secret source of shame to his father. But Master Sardu truly was a gentle giant, and much beloved by his people. It was said of him that Master Sardu looked down on everyone, yet looked down on no one." She nodded at him, reminding him to take another spoonful. He chewed a boiled red beet, known as a "baby heart" because of its color, its shape, its capillary-like strings. "Yes, Bubbeh?" "He was also a lover of nature, and had no interest in the brutality of the hunt--but, as a nobleman and a man of rank, at the age of fifteen his father and his uncles prevailed upon him to accompany them on a six-week expedition to Romania." "To here, Bubbeh?" said Abraham. "The giant, he came here?" "To the north country, kaddishel. The dark forests. The Sardu men, they did not come to hunt wild pig or bear or elk. They came to hunt wolf, the family symbol, the arms of the house of Sardu. They were hunting a hunting animal. Sardu family lore said that eating wolf meat gave Sardu men courage and strength, and the young master’s father believed that this might cure his son’s weak muscles." "Yes, Bubbeh?" "Their trek was long and arduous, as well as violently opposed by the weather, and Jusef struggled mightily. He had never before traveled anywhere outside his family’s village, and the looks he received from strangers along the journey shamed him. When they arrived in the dark forest, the woodlands felt alive around him. Packs of animals roamed the woods at night, almost like refugees displaced from their shelters, their dens, nests, and lairs. So many animals that the hunters were unable to sleep at night in their camp. Some wanted to leave, but the elder Sardu’s obsession came before all else. They could hear the wolves, crying in the night, and he wanted one badly for his son, his only son, whose gigantism was a pox upon the Sardu line. He wanted to cleanse the house of Sardu of this curse, to marry off his son, and produce many healthy heirs. "And so it was that his father, off tracking a wolf, was the first to become separated from the others, just before nightfall on the second evening. The rest waited for him all night, and spread out to search for him after sunrise. And so it was that one of Jusef’s cousins failed to return that evening. And so on, you see." "Yes, Bubbeh?" "Until the only one left was Jusef, the boy giant. That next day he set out, and in an area previously searched, discovered the body of his father, and of all his cousins and uncles, laid out at the entrance to an underground cave. Their skulls had been crushed with great force, but their bodies remained uneaten--killed by a beast of tremendous strength, yet not out of hunger or fear. For what reason, he could not guess—though he did feel himself being watched, perhaps even studied, by some being lurking within that dark cave. "Master Sardu carried each body away from the cave and buried them deep. Of course, this exertion severely weakened him, taking most of his strength. He was spent, he was farmutshet. And yet, alone and scared and exhausted, he returned to the cave that night, to face what evil revealed itself after dark, to avenge his forebears or die trying. This is known from a diary he kept, discovered in the woods many years later. This was his last entry." Continue Reading The Strain Customer Review: zombie vampire 28 days (later) day of the dead/resident evil style cross up with substance... I wasn't expecting much out of this book. I mean, how many vampire, infectious, zombie, flesh eating stories can one possibly digest? However, this is no normal "middle of the road" story. The mythology and the back stories are as interesting as the main lines. And the personal accounts of people "changing" are very detailed, and yes, disturbing. There is a continuous mystery to be solved throughout the book as well, which lends another element to the whole thing, and keeps the reader involved. Do yourself a favor, and read this book. It is very creative, wonderfully written, and del Toro and Hogan make a great team to masterfully weave a world that you feel like could be all around you at any moment. What more can you ask for in a great book??? Customer Review: Freaky Masterpiece I don't write many reviews for books on Amazon, however, I felt that I needed to offer my opinion for anyone trying to decide whether to read this book. I'm a huge Stephen King fan, first. I don't typically read horror novels unless they're written by him. I certainly don't go out seeking them unless Stephen King recommended it. This book, about modern-day vampires, is an absolute fright-fest. When I say "modern day", I certainly don't mean of the Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice or Twilight Collector's Edition (The Twilight Saga) by Stephanie Meyer variety. The "modern-day vampires" in this novel are humans (and animals) infected with a virus that takes over their body, essentially killing them, that needs blood to continue to exist. There is no "glamor" in these "vampires". It is raw horror. It will make you feel as you would if these creatures (or this virus) DID exist. It's the most plausible semi-realistic vampire novel I've ever read. It uses science in the fashion of Michael Crichton to really validate the existence (or potential existence) to the reader and really suspends the disbelief we all have (or at least most if us) when reading a novel about vampires. This book has the page-turning attribute of a James Patterson novel, the scientific integration of a Michael Crichton novel and the horror of the scariest book I've ever read! (That would have to be The Ruins (Vintage) by Scott Smith). I have truly enjoyed Guillermo Del Toro's work and this book doesn't disappoint. The imagery that the writing brings forth while reading is movie-like which is what makes it so freaky. I have to sleep with the lights on after reading this book and I'm not easily freaked out. In my opinion, this is a masterpiece! I look forward to Book's Two and Three! | ||||||
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane "A fresh present-day story infused with an original take on popular history. Forget broomsticks and pointy hats; here are witches that could well be walking among us today. This debut novel flows with poetic charm and eloquence that achieves high literary merit while concocting a gripping supernatural puzzler. Katherine Howe's talent is spellbinding."--Matthew Pearl, author of The Poe Shadow and The Dante Club A spellbinding, beautifully written novel that moves between contemporary times and one of the most fascinating and disturbing periods in American history-the Salem witch trials. Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem, she can't refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key within a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest--to find out who this woman was and to unearth a rare artifact of singular power: a physick book, its pages a secret repository for lost knowledge. As the pieces of Deliverance's harrowing story begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the long-ago witch trials, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem's dark past then she could have ever imagined. Written with astonishing conviction and grace, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane travels seamlessly between the witch trials of the 1690s and a modern woman's story of mystery, intrigue, and revelation. | ||||||
The Time Traveler's Wife (Today Show Book Club #15) Passionately in love, Clare and Henry vow to hold onto each other and their marriage as they struggle with the effects of Chrono-Displacement Disorder, a condition that casts Henry involuntarily into the world of time travel.Customer Review: Very Well Written book - Enjoyed every minute of it Once I stopped trying to figure out the logic behind time travelling of this sort, and just read the book for what it was, it was great! The charachters are very well developed, you can envision their lives and it leaves a lasting impression once done. It's a wonderful tale of the power of love entertwined with some time warped adventures... it's nice and I would definitely recommend to someone who appreciates quality writing and a nice story. Customer Review: Creepy I still am amazed at the popularity of this book. To be honest, I didn't read it all the way through because it creeped me out so much when the main character "visited" himself in youth. I attempted to keep reading, but it just kept getting more & more bizarre. Finally, I just put it down and didn't ever think twice about picking it back up. Good books make you want to continue reading... this book made me want to stop. | ||||||
Michael Jackson's Great Beers of Belgium Belgium must be Michael Jackson's idea of heaven. The diversity, individuality, and ubiquity of beer in that country astounds even the beer sophisticate. Belgians lay claim to dozens of brewing styles that, motley as they are, read like a royal registry of beer: Lambics, Abbey Ales, Belgian Whites, Strong Golden Ales, Trappist Ales, Belgian Browns. Consider the Lambic brewer's "wind through the rafters" approach, in which wild yeast and airborne bacteria are responsible for the fermentation process and the otherworldly flavor characteristics of the final product. The brewing style is so dependent on the microflora of the greater Brussels area that it cannot be successfully duplicated anywhere else in the world.Jackson exposes the history and inner workings of this quiet, quirky brewing behemoth with characteristic thoroughness and enthusiasm. We learn the origins of monastic brewing, the good fortune of spiders in Lambic breweries, and the reasoning behind using orange peels, coriander seeds, and three years' worth of stale hops in the brewing process. Ample tasting notes of commercial Belgian products--from those famous worldwide to those available only locally--provide a reference point for the reader's own beer hunting. A few bottles of Belgian brew and a copy of Great Beers of Belgium are as close to a brewing tour of Belgium one can get, short of visiting the country itself. Such armchair exploration, with Jackson as a guide, may be just the revelation that makes a physical trip irresistible. --Todd Gehman | ||||||
Kiss of Midnight (The Midnight Breed, Book 1) He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle Maxwell’s deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night—or this man—is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed—a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind—and the unwitting humans existing alongside them—from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands. Here, in the arms of the Breed’s formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all. . . . Customer Review: Embarrasing to have Downloaded this book... I know it's a 'genre' thing, but even so, the quality of writing was stale, the characters were not at all interesting; after reading about 30% of the book, I wanted the Lucan vampire to die or get his balls kicked in, the lady to just get a conventional job or go back to school, and wishing there was a much better description or use of Boston. This piece of crap could've been plotted about any city. Thankfully, its only on my Kindle, so I can just delete it and forget that it ever existed. Customer Review: readable Breedmate sounds suspiciously like Broodmare, and that's just what this chick is going to be. That, and the occasional midnight snack. The bad boy hero fights against his feeling for her, but in the end (doesn't it always work out this way?) her amazing personality and incredible body win him over. Oh, that and the mind blowing sex! You'd think after reading all these novels that hot, hunky, larger than life (in every sense) guys are just a dime a dozen, wouldn't you? Oh, but they'd need to be since the incredibly beautiful, talented and sexy women are everywhere, too. It wasn't a bad read, just a little on the sappy side. | ||||||
| Trapped: Michael Jackson and the Crossover Dream Customer Review: Dear Dave, Dear Dave, Dave, I have a few notions about why your book, _Trapped_, is now sadly out of print. It is, after all, perhaps the best-written tome you've ever come up with. It's filled with more honest emotion than any of your other writing. It's a book that bleeds and struggles and fights with itself. So why, Dave, do you think this book fell away from us? Could it, Dave, have something to do with the white-liberal-inadvertant racism and condescension that offends to the very marrow of one's bones? Could it be, Dave, your "smarter/holier/morally superior-than-thou" stance? Could it, Dave, have something to do with the ugly, though again inadvertant homophobia that drips creepily from so many of the pages of this book? Could it be that in looking way down on your subject, you dug yourself a hole of hypocrisy from which you've never entirely been able to climb out? Could it be, Dave, that you were never satisfied with just being a music lover and critic? That you, Dave, wanted to somehow _control_ what musicians said and did to an utterly unreasonable extent? Could it be, Dave, that you wanted those musicians to look up to you, and ask for and follow your advice every time they made a public move? Finally, could the problem, Dave, be that you finally did find yourself an artist who listened obediantly when you wrote (or quite probably said) "Dear Bruce . . ." And could it be that you were happier when that artist fulfilled your dreams instead of his own? Dave, you're a fine writer and your analysis of Jackson's songs rank among some of the most insightful ever written. This is why it is so sad that your book is so hard to find. Why, there are times when you propel a listener to run to the nearest CD player and put on their Jackson records immediately. Your words make the music dance right off the page. You seem to understand Jackson's fear, and rage, and pain as he sings those emotions on his records. You even capture the joy of the records like few other writers. You truly illuminate what is best in Jackson's music, and even at time betray a compassion for the man that you try not to feel. But, Dave, what you failed to do here, as elsewhere, is to take a good look first at the man in the mirror before wagging your finger down at the struggles of another. Customer Review: decent This book is decent, although others are better. I would recommend a read if you are a Jackson fan. | ||||||
The Road (Oprah's Book Club) Best known for his Border Trilogy, hailed in the San Francisco Chronicle as "an American classic to stand with the finest literary achievements of the century," Cormac McCarthy has written ten rich and often brutal novels, including the bestselling No Country for Old Men, and The Road. Profoundly dark, told in spare, searing prose, The Road is a post-apocalyptic masterpiece, one of the best books we've read this year, but in case you need a second (and expert) opinion, we asked Dennis Lehane, author of equally rich, occasionally bleak and brutal novels, to read it and give us his take. Read his glowing review below. --Daphne Durham
Guest Reviewer: Dennis Lehane  Dennis Lehane, master of the hard-boiled thriller, generated a cult following with his series about private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, wowed readers with the intense and gut-wrenching Mystic River, blew fans all away with the mind-bending Shutter Island, and switches gears with Coronado, his new collection of gritty short stories (and one play). Cormac McCarthy sets his new novel, The Road, in a post-apocalyptic blight of gray skies that drizzle ash, a world in which all matter of wildlife is extinct, starvation is not only prevalent but nearly all-encompassing, and marauding bands of cannibals roam the environment with pieces of human flesh stuck between their teeth. If this sounds oppressive and dispiriting, it is. McCarthy may have just set to paper the definitive vision of the world after nuclear war, and in this recent age of relentless saber-rattling by the global powers, it's not much of a leap to feel his vision could be not far off the mark nor, sadly, right around the corner. Stealing across this horrific (and that's the only word for it) landscape are an unnamed man and his emaciated son, a boy probably around the age of ten. It is the love the father feels for his son, a love as deep and acute as his grief, that could surprise readers of McCarthy's previous work. McCarthy's Gnostic impressions of mankind have left very little place for love. In fact that greatest love affair in any of his novels, I would argue, occurs between the Billy Parham and the wolf in The Crossing. But here the love of a desperate father for his sickly son transcends all else. McCarthy has always written about the battle between light and darkness; the darkness usually comprises 99.9% of the world, while any illumination is the weak shaft thrown by a penlight running low on batteries. In The Road, those batteries are almost out--the entire world is, quite literally, dying--so the final affirmation of hope in the novel's closing pages is all the more shocking and maybe all the more enduring as the boy takes all of his father's (and McCarthy's) rage at the hopeless folly of man and lays it down, lifting up, in its place, the oddest of all things: faith. --Dennis Lehane Customer Review: Book Review: The Road In my opinion, this book is about the condition of human nature when faced with the certainty of death and the total devastation of life as you knew it. Think about it. What if you lost everything you knew about this beautiful planet and saw nothing but a charred skeleton of Mother Earth with no remaining life existing thereupon it? What if the colors, smells, and everything that we take for granted about our planet is replaced with only shades of black and the smell of death and fear? I think about it and I can¡¯t imagine how I would find the will to survive in such conditions, as such, I can understand why the mother of ¡°The Man¡¯s¡± boy ¡°jumped ship¡± on them. But, I may be getting ahead of myself. For those 3 people who most likely haven¡¯t read this book (sorry about the sarcasm¡¦ but, I¡¯m feeling as though I may be the only person left on the planet who hasn¡¯t read it), the tale of this novel is one that is difficult to describe without giving away too much of the ending and the ¡°good parts¡± of the story. The best way that I can describe what this book is about is the story of a man and his son, faced with a future on earth described hereinabove while attempting to find food, water, and shelter while on the road to the coast. As the waters, rains, streams, lakes and snows are filled with ash, there is a lack of potable water. In addition, as the earth has been thoroughly burned, there is no plant life nor animal life to sustain human life. Now, what I didn¡¯t understand is what happened to the earth to create this situation. The reader is not informed of that. Was it the biblical apocalypse? In addition, why did some people survive and others not? Cormac McCarthy Now, in speaking of the survivors¡¦ McCarthy sets forth the distinction between good and evil, dark and light. The ¡°good ones,¡± ¡°carry the fire.¡± The ¡°bad ones¡± are cannibals, thieves, and murderers. The reader accompanies the man and his son across the burned terrain on their goal to reach the ocean. What happens to them along the way, what they witness, who they meet, and how they survive is the nuts and bolts of this novel. Some of the visualizations that I received in reading this work are images that I¡¯d rather not be in my head at any given point. But, they do make me want to continue to strive towards salvation and entry into the Kingdom of Heaven because God KNOWS that I could never face the atrocities of living on earth post-apocalypse. The ending, for me, leaves a lot to be desired. This shall not be misinterpreted to say that I¡¯m not glad that I read the book¡¦ I am. There are components of this story that made me think about deep, heavy issues. Some of those issues include being faced with the death of my child, having to murder another human in the face of survival, and the basic elements of human kindness. The quotes of the book stated herein reflect what about the book that I did like and/or forced my thoughts. Favorite Quotes of the Book: ¡°And the dreams so rich in color. How else would death call you? Waking in the cold day it all turned to ash instantly. Like certain ancient frescoes entombed for centuries suddenly exposed to the day.¡± ¡°If you break the little promises you¡¯ll break the big ones. That¡¯s what you said.¡± ¡°I know. But I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°What in God¡¯s name are you talking about? We¡¯re not survivors. We¡¯re the walking dead in a horror film.¡± ¡°He tried to remember the dream but he could not. All that was left was the feeling of it. He thought perhaps they¡¯d come to warn him. Of what? That he could not enkindle in the heart of the child what was ashes in his own. Even now some part of him wished they¡¯d never found this refuge. Some part of him always wished it to be over.¡± ¡°People were always getting ready for tomorrow. I didn¡¯t believe in that. Tomorrow wasn¡¯t getting ready for them. It didn¡¯t even know they were there.¡± ¡°When we¡¯re all gone at last then there¡¯ll be nobody here but Death and his days will be numbered too. He¡¯ll be out in the road there with nothing to do and nobody to do it to. He¡¯ll say: Where did everybody go? And that¡¯s how it will be. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°When your dreams are of some world that never was or of some world that never will be and you are happy again then you will have given up. Do you understand? And you can¡¯t give up. I won¡¯t let you.¡± Sher¡¯s ¡°Out of Ten¡± Scale: Truthfully, I am dreading this part of MY standard review. I have absolutely no idea how to rate this book. I kept reading because I wanted answers¡¦ I wanted to know the truth about the boy and if he was an angel/savior/son of God with a purpose¡¦. never really got that answer. The ending didn¡¯t help much. I wanted to know what caused this entire mess¡¦ never got that. The way that the book is written is with incorrect grammar, so getting used to the rhythm of the book took some adjustment. The lack of names for these characters bothered me. Some of the vocabulary words in the book, I¡¯ve never heard before. As I was on vacation, I didn¡¯t have a dictionary handy so that was frustrating. The lack of richness in the communication between the man and his son left much to be desired. I mean, he taught his kid all of these things about the earth and now all they say is ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± BUT, there are some things in this book that make you think hard and long. Some of the quotes and lessons in the book are stunningly brilliant, at least for me. SOOOO¡¦. (ugh, hate to give this rating)¡¦. I am giving it a 7 out of 10. You must think I¡¯m crazy giving a PULTIZER PRIZE WINNING BOOK a 7. I feel horrible saying it. On the Library Thing & Amazon.Com Rating: ¢¾¢¾¢¾ Customer Review: waste of 5 hours of my life This was required text for a class. I had to buy the audiobook from itunes because it was so bad I couldn't stand to read past page 7. waste of money. waste of time. | ||||||
Michael Jackson's Great Beers of Belgium, 6th Edition A richly detailed examination of Belgian beer and brewing. Michael Jackson's extraordinary passion for Belgian beer shines through in every aspect of this engaging work, from the personal stories of the people behind the beers to the careful descriptions of their flavors. Revised and updated shortly before his death in August 2007, this work represents the pinnacle of Jackson's meticulous research and masterful writing, presented in a beautifully illustrated visual environment. With a new forward by Brewers Association President Charlie Papazian.Customer Review: Great writing from one of beer's great advocates A great book on belgian beers by probaly the greatest beer advocate of our times. Make me want to take a trip to Belgium so I can taste these beers for myself. Customer Review: The best! Simply the best book on beer I've read yet. Really informative, historical, pictorial, and well written. Has that classic Jackson dry humor. I just couldn't put this down; this book just about covers it all when it comes to Belgium and beer! I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the lambics and the trappists. Anybody that is into Belgian beer like I am, this is a must read. This book now in its sixth edition is fully updated and Mr. Jackson even goes through and describes how each brewery has changed since the first edition he put out. R.I.P Michael Jackson. | ||||||
All That Glitters: Michael Jackson - The Crime and the Cover Up An extraordinary case study giving the sensational but highly detailed factual evidence about allegations against Michael Jackson, self-styled 'King of Pop'. It is about being in the centre of the maelstrom that became the life of Jordie Chandler, the young boy, and his family, who were involved with Jackson. It is a blow-by-blow account of their relationship both while their story was undetected and afterwards when all concerned were hit by the media feeding frenzy - and worse - in what remains one of the major scandals of pop history. The author claims to unmask Michael Jackson and to put the spotlight on character traits of paedophiles; on the US legal system; on a cunning plot of deception and manipulation; on a campaign of vilification and victimisation; on how fame and power corrupted; and on a story that is increasingly topical again as the new Jackson trial looms. A highly accessible and gripping account of a drama - that included a USD20 million pay out - by one who had a ringside seat. "He (Michael) said that we had a little box, and this was a secret - and it's a box that only he and I could share. You put the secret in the box and nobody can know about what's in the box but him and me. He said that we weren't conditioned, but if this box were revealed to other people, like regular people of today's society, they're conditioned and so they would believe it was wrong. And so that's why I shouldn't reveal what's in the box."Customer Review: Terrible book In my opinion, you should save your money. This reads as if the author has a hardware store full of axes to grind. If you're a budding attorney, the legal manuevering might be interesting. | ||||||
Sookie Stackhouse, Books 1-7 Sookie Stackhouse is the main character in The Southern Vampire Mysteries, a series of eight books written by bestselling author Charlaine HarrisCustomer Review: Better than the show I enjoyed this series, for a light summer read, it was great. I do wish that the books had been labeled so that the order was easier to determine, but other that that, they were great. This isn't a huge piece of literature, so if you're looking for that, don't read it. But..if you're looking for something fun and a little different, this is great. Customer Review: Hard to put down I'd seen the True Blood show, and, after reading a review on the series on Amazon, decided to get the set. I loved them - all of them. I can't seem to get enough. My only complaint is that I can't seem to put them down, so I've had quite a few late nights reading. The books are certainly entertaining, suck you in, and have you rooting for different characters. I highly recommend! | ||||||
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Today Show Book Club #13) Mark Haddon's bitterly funny debut novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, is a murder mystery of sorts--one told by an autistic version of Adrian Mole. Fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone is mathematically gifted and socially hopeless, raised in a working-class home by parents who can barely cope with their child's quirks. He takes everything that he sees (or is told) at face value, and is unable to sort out the strange behavior of his elders and peers.Late one night, Christopher comes across his neighbor's poodle, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork. Wellington's owner finds him cradling her dead dog in his arms, and has him arrested. After spending a night in jail, Christopher resolves--against the objection of his father and neighbors--to discover just who has murdered Wellington. He is encouraged by Siobhan, a social worker at his school, to write a book about his investigations, and the result--quirkily illustrated, with each chapter given its own prime number--is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Haddon's novel is a startling performance. This is the sort of book that could turn condescending, or exploitative, or overly sentimental, or grossly tasteless very easily, but Haddon navigates those dangers with a sureness of touch that is extremely rare among first-time novelists. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is original, clever, and genuinely moving: this one is a must-read. --Jack Illingworth, Amazon.ca | ||||||
| Medusa: A Novel from the Numa Files (Wheeler Large Print Book Series) Unabridged CDs • 10 CDs, 12 hours Danger stalks Lucas Davenport at work and all too close to home, in the superlative new thriller by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author. Customer Review: great read I always look forward to the next Clive Cussler book. I like the format of his books, action action and more action. I find his books hard to put down, most of the time I finish book in 24 hours. This simply is a good reading experance. I am looking forward to the next one. When I read fiction I want to be entertained and that what this book does. Customer Review: Medusa Medusa: A Novel from the NUMA FilesExcellent book. I enjoyed it and look forward to each new book by Cussler. I would recommend this book to everyone. | ||||||
| 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea [UNABRIDGED] (Classic Books on Cassettes Collection) Professor Arronaz, in search of a sea monster, discovers it to be Captain Nemo and his remarkable submarine invention. There is a vivid contrast between the journey into the calm depths of the limitless world below the sea and the entrapment and enclosure of the narrow Nautilus. Eight 90-minute cassettes. Customer Review: A great title! 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is one of those classics that has so made its imprint upon SF and popular culture that one needn't have read the book to know its features: the dark genius, Captain Nemo; the futuristic Nautilus with its thousand strange inventions and capabilities; and gigantic octopi that can drag a ship down to the abyss. In fact, this book is so invested into modern culture that hardly anyone nowadays has read it, and it is a work that, even more than 120 years after its first publication, yet deserves examination. Customer Review: Nowhere near Verne's best is still head and shoulders above modern science fiction This isn't one of my favorites of verne's, but I still appreciate a wonderful scifi adventure. Verne always wrote his novels with a tool that many novelists, especially scifi novelists, lack. That tool is knowledge. Verne was a scientist. his books are always grounds to teach, to learn, and to speculate. It's so facinating now, so many years in the future, to see how amazingly close to the truth Verne often was using the little information available to him and his great scientific mind. My hero. | ||||||
The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4) As an incoming freshman, Percy isn't expecting his high school orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse. In this fourth installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his demigod friends will set out on a quest through the Labyrinth-a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn. Full of humor and heart-pounding action, this fourth book promises to be their most thrilling adventure yet. Customer Review: Excellent The war between the Olympians and the evil Titan Lord Kronos is drawing near and even Camp Half-Blood isn't safe as the enemy has found a way into camp through The Labyrinth. Now Percy and his friends have to navigate the Labyrinth to get to Daedalus's workshop before their arch enemy Luke does and convince Daedalus to help them and not Luke. Grover comes along on the journey to help but he has another goal as well - this is his last chance to find Pan. The journey through the Labyrinth is a hazardous one, taking them into unexpected places and filled with more than one surprise. "The Battle of the Labyrinth" is the fourth (and one of the best) books in Rick Riordan's wonderfully inventive Percy Jackson and the Olympians children's fantasy series. Riordan has great fun with the Labyrinth - a scary place that takes the children to historical places with the typical Riordan twist. Riordan also has fun expanding on the Daedalus myth and adds some surprises to that plot line that readers won't see coming. There is a wonderful sense of humor throughout the book that makes it fun to read (a perfect example is what Nico does to raise the dead). Riordan continues to tweak mythology (an encounter with the Sphinx is hilarious) and make it his own. Riordan also does a good job of mixing humor with scary and sometimes sad moments. The books in the series get darker as the series moves along and this book is a reminder that in any war, even one involving mythological characters, there will be casualties. "The Battle of the Labyrinth" is the great fourth book in a wonderful fantasy series aimed at children but enjoyable for readers of all ages. The first three books in the series are: The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2) The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3) Enjoy! Customer Review: Super youth fantasy literature Loved the entire series and have now read it more than once. It made me want to learn more about Greek mythology. | ||||||
In the Studio with Michael Jackson The inside secrets of Michael Jackson's greatest records by the Grammy-winning engineer who captured and enhanced their sound. Multiple color photos of Jackson, producer Quincy Jones, and all the talents who collaborated to make pop history with Jackson's albums. Plucked from a job at legendary Universal Audio in Chicago, Bruce Swedien entered into a fruitful and historic 30-year relationship with producer Quincy Jones. That partnership culminated in the groundbreaking recordings of Michael Jackson, beginning with The Wiz, continuing with Jackson's breakout solo debut Off the Wall, and triumphing with Thriller, which revolutionized music and video and fixed Jackson in culture as the King of Pop. Now Swedien reveals the technical details of creating those albums (along with Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory) and offers personal remembrances and anecdotes about working with the pop icon. Swedien's book provides an insider's look that will thrill anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of hit making and the history of some of America's most influential recordings. * Large collection of photographs from Michael Jackson recording sessions * Forewords by producer Quincy Jones and writer/producer Rod Temperton | ||||||
Weapons of Choice (The Axis of Time Trilogy, Book 1) On the eve of America’s greatest victory in the Pacific,a catastrophic event disrupts the course of World War II, forever changing the rules of combat. . . . The impossible has spawned the unthinkable. A military experiment in the year 2021 has thrust an American-led multinational armada back to 1942, right into the middle of the U.S. naval task force speeding toward Midway Atoll—and what was to be the most spectacular U.S. triumph of the entire war. Thousands died in the chaos, but the ripples had only begun. For these veterans of Pearl Harbor—led by Admirals Nimitz, Halsey, and Spruance—have never seen a helicopter, or a satellite link, or a nuclear weapon. And they’ve never encountered an African American colonel or a British naval commander who was a woman and half-Pakistani. While they embrace the armada’s awesome firepower, they may find the twenty-first century sailors themselves far from acceptable. Initial jubilation at news the Allies would win the war is quickly doused by the chilling realization that the time travelers themselves—by their very presence—have rendered history null and void. Celebration turns to dread when the possibility arises that other elements of the twenty-first century task force may have also made the trip—and might now be aiding Yamamoto and the Japanese. What happens next is anybody’s guess—and everybody’s nightmare. . . . From the Trade Paperback edition. Customer Review: Good airport novel I downloaded this for free to my kindle and enjoyed reading it. It was a nice quick read like John Grisham. Instead of a young lawyer in trouble, it focused on an interesting combination of military history and Crighton type sci-fi. A fun, fast paced read if ultimately a little forgettable. Customer Review: Annoyingly Good! Book's free, how can you go wrong, right? Well, you really can't with this. It's got some weak spots, a few weak characters, occasional slip ups with characters mentioning events, cultural icons that are supposed to be in the 2020's but in fact are in our time, but it's a fun read, perfect for the beach, airplane, any time and any place you want to mentally coast and be well entertained. I will say it ended a bit jarringly as I had forgotten that it is a trilogy. Got off the airplane, took the taxi home and immediately downloaded the second and third books. So, I have to say it isn't free since you will buy the second and probably the third, but the trilogy is certainly worth the $12 or $13. Net, net, it isn't great literature, but it's a heck of a lot of fun! | ||||||
Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1) Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated like an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him sectetly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.Customer Review: Best Fantasy Series In a Long Time I'd have to put this whole series in the top three of my all-time favorite books. The characters are so well written with their motivations. Even when you don't like what they're doing, you understand why they're doing it. It's a great story of the politics behind the throne and how one young boy can change everything. As soon as I finished this book, I immediately ordered the rest of the series, and they only get better. Days later, I'm still thinking about the story, and to me, that's the sign of a great story and author. Customer Review: Best read in a long, long time!! I wanted to read this and then discovered it was free on Kindle. After that I was hooked and have read all in this series, just finishing the last "Fool" book. Very well written, can't put them down! I will be sad when I'm done, haven't found such well written, wonderful stories and characters in a book in a long time. Highly recommend all six. | ||||||
Life of Pi Yann Martel's imaginative and unforgettable Life of Pi is a magical reading experience, an endless blue expanse of storytelling about adventure, survival, and ultimately, faith. The precocious son of a zookeeper, 16-year-old Pi Patel is raised in Pondicherry, India, where he tries on various faiths for size, attracting "religions the way a dog attracts fleas." Planning a move to Canada, his father packs up the family and their menagerie and they hitch a ride on an enormous freighter. After a harrowing shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, trapped on a 26-foot lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker ("His head was the size and color of the lifebuoy, with teeth"). It sounds like a colorful setup, but these wild beasts don't burst into song as if co-starring in an anthropomorphized Disney feature. After much gore and infighting, Pi and Richard Parker remain the boat's sole passengers, drifting for 227 days through shark-infested waters while fighting hunger, the elements, and an overactive imagination. In rich, hallucinatory passages, Pi recounts the harrowing journey as the days blur together, elegantly cataloging the endless passage of time and his struggles to survive: "It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose from that I've made none the champion." An award winner in Canada, Life of Pi, Yann Martel's second novel, should prove to be a breakout book in the U.S. At one point in his journey, Pi recounts, "My greatest wish--other than salvation--was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One that I could read again and again, with new eyes and fresh understanding each time." It's safe to say that the fabulous, fablelike Life of Pi is such a book. --Brad Thomas Parsons | ||||||
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel (Oprah Book Club #62) Amazon Best of the Month, June 2008: It's gutsy for a debut novelist to offer a modern take on Hamlet set in rural Wisconsin--particularly one in which the young hero, born mute, communicates with people, dogs, and the occasional ghost through his own mix of sign and body language. But David Wroblewski's extraordinary way with language in The Story of Edgar Sawtelle immerses readers in a living, breathing world that is both fantastic and utterly believable. In selecting for temperament and a special intelligence, Edgar's grandfather started a line of unusual dogs--the Sawtelles--and his sons carried on his work. But among human families, undesirable traits aren't so easily predicted, and clashes can erupt with tragic force. Edgar's tale takes you to the extremes of what humans must endure, and when you're finally released, you will come back to yourself feeling wiser, and flush with gratitude. And you will have remembered what magnificent alchemy a finely wrought novel can work. --Mari Malcolm Book Description Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm--and into Edgar's mother's affections. Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires--spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward. David Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes--the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in the falling rain--create a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic. Double Life, with Dogs: An Amazon Exclusive Essay by David Wroblewski Continue Reading Double Life, With Dogs Praise from Stephen King "I flat-out loved The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, and spent twelve happy evenings immersed in the world David Wroblewski has created. As I neared the end, I kept finding excuses to put the book aside for a little, not because I didn't like it, but because I liked it too much; I didn't want it to end. Dog-lovers in particular will find themselves riveted by this story, because the canine world has never been explored with such imagination and emotional resonance. Yet in the end, this isn't a novel about dogs or heartland America--although it is a deeply American work of literature. It's a novel about the human heart, and the mysteries that live there, understood but impossible to articulate. Yet in the person of Edgar Sawtelle, a mute boy who takes three of his dogs on a brave and dangerous odyssey, Wroblewski does articulate them, and splendidly. I closed the book with that regret readers feel only after experiencing the best stories: It's over, you think, and I won't read another one this good for a long, long time. In truth, there's never been a book quite like The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I thought of Hamlet when I was reading it, and Watership Down, and The Night of the Hunter, and The Life of Pi--but halfway through, I put all comparisons aside and let it just be itself. I'm pretty sure this book is going to be a bestseller, but unlike some, it deserves to be. It's also going to be the subject of a great many reading groups, and when the members take up Edgar, I think they will be apt to stick to the book and forget the neighborhood gossip. Wonderful, mysterious, long and satisfying: readers who pick up this novel are going to enter a richer world. I envy them the trip. I don't re-read many books, because life is too short. I will be re-reading this one." Customer Review: The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle Just finished the novel. Thoroughly enjoyed it until the end. Given the tone of the book, I didn't expect a neat, predictable happy ending--but at least some resolution. Very unsatisfying after 500+ pages. It could have been MUCH better! Felt to me like the author lost perspective of where he was headed. Should have done the work to bring all of the threads together in a more satisfying way. Customer Review: Great Book -- Current Rating is a Mystery I am stunned to see the current three star rating (06/09). I just completed the book and I think it is wonderful. It's epic (ala Cold Mountain), well plotted (Empire Falls), mystical and deeply American (A Thousand Acres). It deserves it's accolades. | ||||||
The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 5) All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Kronos's army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan's power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it's up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time. In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy's sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate. | ||||||
Michael Jackson's Beer Companion: Revised And Updated Jackson here presents a knowledgeable and civilized survey of the various and sundry beers imbibed around the globe. You'll learn, for example, that Ninkasi was a Sumerian goddess of brewing, and that malt-making may be as much as 4,000 years old. He explains what fruit beers are, and defines lagers, ales, porters, wheat beers, and more; discusses and rates the beers of assorted nations; and suggests what foods go well with which beers. Jackson is excellent at combining historical detail with current information about the beers and brewers in question; his organization is logical and accessible. Beautifully photographed and designed for sustained browsing as well as authoritative reference. -Publishers Weekly Customer Review: Great info on most beer styles As a homebrewer, I found this book to be very helpful in creating recipes for various styles of beer. He goes into good detail about them and provides descriptions of a few primary examples of styles. If I have any criticism it would be that I would have done away with the "cooking with beer" articles at the end of the book (you can find better and more comprehensive info elsewhere) and instead added more info about obscure beer styles such as American Stock Ale, Baltic Porter, Kellerbier, Finnish Sahti, Kentucky Common Beer, etc. Customer Review: Just what America needs: Beer Education Author Michael Jackson is probably my favorite beer writer and critic. He has traveled all over America and the world, attending events, visiting breweries, and tasting beer. He has extensive knowledge on the subject of beer and he shares that knowledge in this book. Jackson writes this book in a very simple, easy to understand manner. He doesn't use long words that require the use of a dictionary to understand. He keeps it simple while he educates the reader sbout the subject of beer. He begins by talking about the history of the world's greatest beverage, from the ancient days when beer was discovered all the way to the present day and the resurgence of craft- brewing. He talks about the various ingredients used in beer and explains how best to match beer with food. The bulk of the book covers each individual style of beer, with facts, trivia, and full- color photographs of beer labels, breweries, and other beer- related things. Speaking of the photography, I found that it really adds to the enjoyment and understanding of the subject matter. It would not be very exciting to read a book about beer that contained nothing but text. The pictures really make a difference with this type of book. They keep the reader entertained and informed about different aspects of beer and the brewing industry. Overall, this is one of the best books on beer I have ever read. Grab a copy and see for yourself how much there is to know and love about the greatest beverage known to man- beer! | ||||||
| Michael Jackson: Thrill (Zebra Books) | ||||||
Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch This was the first book to give single malt scotch the systematic, in-depth treatment reserved for wine. It will help you to discover the differences between the ''lightly earthy, nutty'' palate of the 10-year-old Fettercairn; the ''elegant, dry'' 10-year-old Glenfarclas; the ''full, smooth'' body of the 1971 Millburn; & the ''sweetish, gingery, warming'' finish of the 12-year-old Oban malts. Illustrated with photos & labels, this book is written in an entertaining style by Michael Jackson, an expert on alcoholic beverages. The essential reference for the discerning scotch drinker, & for those about to begin their exploration into the pleasures of single malt whiskies.Customer Review: The Best of Its Kind Echoing the other reviews posted here, I'd just like to add that this book is one of the best of its kind. Unlike a lot of books about scotch whisky which tell you loads about the distilliries yet nothing about the relative worth of the drams, this book calls 'em--the good, the mediocore, and the not so good. Mr. Jackson is an outstanding writer, by turns witty and intelligent, and his passion for scotch is evident and infectious. The beautiful layout work complements the writing. If you have even a passing interest in single malts, you need this book. Buy it now. And don't let your friends swipe your copy, even though they'll want to. Customer Review: I love this book! If you love single malt whisky, you'll love this book. As a single malt lover, I use this book as a guide to explore the world of single malt whisky. Since I am stiil young and poor, it's not possible to taist too much whisky. You have to make a purchasing list for yourself. I am very happy to find out that this books can help me make the decision. I am not saying the point is everything. If you beleve your own taist, you do not have to agree with the author's comment. However, it's a way to build your own guide step by step. Until now, I have tried about 10 brands with about 30 different ages scotch. It's really an interesting world. | ||||||
MOONWALK Bay MICHAEL JACKSON 1988 First Edition | ||||||
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61) Amazon.com Exclusive Content Click on the image below to download an exclusive essay by Eckhart Tolle, in .pdf format. More From Eckhart Tolle
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Michael Jackson: An Exceptional Journey: The Unauthorised Biography in Words and Pictures When the most famous, successful and talented pop singer of all time makes a comeback, the world sits up and listens, the press takes notes and the fans go shopping. And so it is with Michael Jackson, out of the limelight for five years, yet with his new album just released, its as if he's never been away. Yes, 'The King Of Pop' has returned in triumphant style topping charts worldwide, breaking records and receiving rewards. Michael Jackson: An exceptional journey, brings the story up to date, using equal parts newly researched text and both classic and rarely seen full color photography, this book will appeal in every way to his millions of fans new and old. With only two other books currently available on this mega star (and both of these seriously outdated) this brand new visual documentary could not come at a better time. | ||||||
| Ebony Magazine 1988 June [Michael Jackson] | ||||||
Living Dead in Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 2) When a vampire asks Sookie Stackhouse to use her telepathic skills to find another missing vampire, she agrees under one condition: the bloodsuckers must promise to let the humans go unharmed.Customer Review: I Somehow Suffered Through Book #2... Let me begin by saying I wanted to like Charlaine Harris' "Sookie Stackhouse" novels, but I just can't. I made it through the first two books, and must admit I regret buying the boxed set sight unseen. There are a couple problems. First, I don't care at all about any of the characters. Sookie is one of the most unlikeable and unbelievable protagonists I have ever experienced. She is inconsistent, obnoxious, and immature. All of this leads me to wonder how an old, worldly vampire would be interested in her. Harris does not do a good job in making her reader believe this relationship. Bill and Sookie's only interactions are sexual, and the plot gets watered down because the two can't even get through a simple conversation without ripping each other's clothes off/biting each other. This is all very strange considering they have no chemistry and their interactions don't even make sense. Sometimes, it is even troublesome how Sookie could have just been battered in some sort of accident, and when Bill sees her he won't even give the poor girl a night off. While I think Harris' series could have gone somewhere great (and I think HBO has done a great job with it) the overall attempt failed. Her writing is nondescript, and she breezes over things the reader finds more interesting. She relies heavily on sex scenes in an attempt to trick her reader into thinking these characters are passionate, but really all you're left with it a boring horny vampire and an even less thrilling narrator. In conclusion: I would recommend the TV series to people instead of the books. Both are graphic, but at least HBO has made Sookie interesting. And don't bother buying the boxed set-- you'll probably just want to turn around and sell it on Amazon marketplace. Customer Review: Uggh - Can I Give Negative Stars? Can I give negative stars to this book? Seriously. It was so, so bad. I actually enjoyed Book 1, but this was just too much. Won't be finishing any more of this series (especially if they continue on in this vein). No plot, except sex, weird religions and junk fiction. I thought it was just plain stupid. Not recommended. | ||||||
Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness So much has how been said and written about the life and career of Michael Jackson that it has become almost impossible to disentangle the man from the myth. Recent revelations are only the latest instalments of a saga that began decades ago. This book is the fruit of over 30 years of research and hundreds of exclusive interviews with a remarkable level of access to the very closest circles of the Jackson family - including Michael himself. Cutting through tabloid rumours, J. Randy Taraborrelli traces the real story behind the Michael Jackson we see and hear today, from his drilling as a child star through the blooming of his talent to his ever-changing personal appearance and bizarre publicity stunts. This major biography includes the behind-the-scenes story to many of the landmarks in Jackson's life: his legal and commercial battles, his marriages to Lisa Marie Presley and Debbie Rowe, his passions and addictions, his children. Objective and revealing, it carries the hallmarks of all of Taraborrelli's best-sellers: impeccable research, brilliant storytelling and definitive documentation.Customer Review: Decent update, but decreased writing quality Years ago I read the initial pressing of this book, published in 1991. Obviously, much has happened in the life of Michael Jackson since then, so I sought out this updated edition, published in 2003. Ultimately, I was a bit disappointed. My main complaint was the "tabloidization" of this version (British? This is an import, after all)--overuse of exclamation marks, excessively positive phrasing, almost taking some of the objectivity away that was so prevalent in the first edition. Also, notable chunks of the first book were removed, others greatly edited down, and in some cases updated with new information. Granted, the years added to this book probably required cutting down in some sense. Yet, the "tabloid" feel continued in much of the newer segment (1990-2003), spending entire chapters on Jackson's love/sex life and literally mentioning his entire musical career from 1995 to 2003 in about one page. Sure, in those years his personaly life probably was of more interest than his musical career to many people, but I would have found the story behind his declining career and musical evolution much more fascinating than the space it was given. On a positive note, the book (like the first edition) does not go out of its way to either defend or criticize Jackson's personal life. It does provide a revealing, first-hand account from someone who has had an inside look at Jacksons life since the 1970's, and for that alone it is probably the best source for an honest book on Jackson's glories and faults. Customer Review: The most impartial book ever written on Michael Jackson I read a lot of books about Michael Jackson, and this is the only one that felt objective to me. The best book on Michael Jackson so far. | ||||||
We write the stories we wish we could read. There's no other reason to do it, to spend years pacing around your basement, mumbling, pecking at a keyboard, turning your back on a world that offers such a feast of delicious fruits. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle came about because some time ago I wished I could read a novel about a boy and his dog, one that integrated our contemporary knowledge of canine behavior, cognition, and origins with my experience of living with dogs; if possible, something flavored with the uncynical Midwestern sense of heart and purpose so familiar from my childhood (and something which, in truth, I've spent much my adult life being slightly ashamed of, as if either heart or purpose were embarrassing attributes for a grown-up to display). I'd recently come to know a good dog, maybe the best dog I'd ever met, and the subject of people and dogs and ethics and character suddenly seemed urgent. But when I went looking for such a story, I had to go back almost a hundred years, back to Jack London's Call of the Wild. That was a surprise. A little while after that, an idea for a story came to me--not the whole thing, but enough to start. 
