Genres Books

It got me through Christmas and Easter without having to use the choir's musty copies.

I developed an appreciation for Handel's Messiah over 60 years ago, and to this day I listen to recordings of it frequently. While in college I became a participant, singing in the chorus, and have done so many times since. A while back I gave my vocal score to my daughter for her use, not realizing how much I missed having it at hand. Since I recently purchased a replacement I feel complete again as I refresh my readings of this great work, truly an all time classical composition.
Donald A Carlson

My copy of Handel's Messiah arrived when stated and in in perfect condition. Thank you

The Messiah is, by far, my favorite piece of classical music. It has been a Christmas tradition for me to attend singalong Messiah concerts for many years. This score has been the choice of the choral conductors and organizers of the concerts of which I have been a part. I bought this book to give to my son-in-law for Christmas, as part of a package that also included a recording of a radio program about the Messiah and Handel, and a CD of the music. He is an musician, so I knew he would enjoy it, and I wanted to provide him with material to share with my granddaughters, so they could also become acquainted with this great piece of music. He was very pleased to receive the gift.

The book arrived in a very timely manner. It was in excellent shape. I am extremely happy to have it. Now I can mark it all up for the soprano lines.

Beth Ann Decker is a hospice nurse in Eudena, Texas. For sixteen years she has strived to overcome the title of "Poor Beth Ann". A title given to her after a gruesome accident that left her severely injured and three of her friends dead. She was made stronger and learned to live with the past hanging over her head. Now her future, thanks to a murder, has been thrown into a state of utter upheaval.

Mark Jessup is the black sheep of Eudena, Texas. His own father has not spoken to him in the sixteen years since the fatal car accident. He has come home to attempt to make peace with the only family he has left in Eduena, his father. He has made peace with himself and grown into a stronger human being. It does not, however, make it easy for him to go home again.

In a town as small as Eudena, memories survive longer than people do. Memories of football victories and life altering accidents survive the longest. Can Beth Ann and Mark survive small town gossips, their own memories, intruders and murder? Can they move forward to the future?

The first chapter of Head On draws the reader into a tale of heartache, intrigue and the "joys" of small town life. It develops into a tale of forgiveness, acceptance and personal responsibility. Head On looks at the result of what effect an accident can have on the victims and their families even sixteen years later. Colleen Thompson gives you all the clues you need to figure out what is going on, then throws you with a climax that you just don't see until it hits you.

Emma
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

The two survivors of a deadly collision find themselves face to face after 16 years. Beth Ann is a hospice nurse who comes to care for the dying former town patriarch Hiram Jessup, who gave up on life after his wife died soon after his daughter's tragic accident. Mark is the former bad boy who was behind the wheel of the other car and spent time in jail, but has continued to feel the guilt of destroying his family. He has returned to reconnect and care for the dying Hiram, much to his father's unyielding displeasure and has brought his mixed race son to a racist town to get to know his grandfather. When Beth Ann's mother is found viciously murdered, all eyes turn to Mark, despite the fact that he is now a wealthy and successful businessman. Soon Beth Ann and Mark are forced to confront the event that altered their lives forever, while fighting the attraction that continues to bind them as her memory of the fateful night starts returning and someone will do anything to keep her from learning a long buried secret her mother appeared to take to the grave.

Thompson weaves a suspenseful and very heartbreaking story about love, loss, corruption, redemption, and forgiveness. The slang and bubba dialect was a bit distracting in an otherwise pretty good story, but the characters are well drawn, particularly secondary characters like young deputy Damon Stillwater - who wants to prove he can crack the case. I could have lived without the details and introspection of the killer - or as the person is referred to in the story "the appointed one," it got almost as annoying as all the slang. I really liked how Thompson did not wrap this one up in a happy red bow where everyone lives happily ever after - the tragedy that was central to the story set the tone and I thought that the conclusion was fitting for a fractured town that continued to be in mourning.

If you enjoy the books written by author Colleen Thompson you'll enjoy this book. Head on, is full of mystery,suspense, I couldn't put the book down for wondering what was going to happen on the next page.

Rarely is an author capable enough to deal with consequences of actions. Usually they can create the actions, but the messy afterwards gets the short shrift. Using deep emotional responses to horrific memories, this novel is all about the clean-up and it's a dandy of an idea--done to a turn! This author has wonderful male and female leads--both smart and emotionally deep--, a serial killer with a direct link to the Almightly and a wonderful cast of secondary characters. Keep your eye on "Elijah"--who was also a most interesting Biblical prophet--as a choice of names for a character. Because my life is so VERY high stress I avoid suspense novels like a bad rash. This one earns every little tingle and NOW I need to go back and check out the author's back catalog. A reader's work is never done....

As a fan of Ms. Thompson's previous work including Fade the Heat, Heat Lightning, and The Deadliest Denial, I believe she really hits her stride in Head On. With all the thrills and fearful stalkings, with chilling peeks inside a criminally insane mind, Head On is also a poignant, layered story about forgiveness and redemption. With richly drawn characters, each with their own cross to bear, and a setting on the lonely high prairies of Texas, Head On delivers.

Having experienced the power and wisdom of traditional African healers, I was glad to see that Yaya took great efforts to convey the potency derived from following ancient traditions. His life story, like many other traditionalists living in the west, is one that is inspiring given all the efforts he and his tribal elders make to keep their old ways alive in the face of pressures to modernize.

As a student of cross-cultural and shamanic traditions I found this book provides clarity into the use of music and sound for enhancing and stimulating healing, as well as the need to gain sufficient mastery before using this healing modality.

"The Healing Drum: African Wisdom teachings" by YaYa Diallo and Mitchell Hall offers an introspective view into the Minianka culture of Mali. As an African-American student, this book helped me to understand a lot about myself. For example, YaYa explains that in his culture, musicians have a responsibility for the affect that the music has on it's listeners. "In my culture, art is allied with morality." (94)We in the West have debated the issue of the artist's responsibility for some time now. As an aspiring actress and writer, my belief has always been that we have are responsible for the messages we send through our art. YaYa explains that music can not only heal, but also can hurt. This is evident in the complacent attitude of many of today's rap artists and it's consumers. YaYa also expounds on some of the differences between the value of time and structure in Minanka culture vs. the same concept in the West. Understanding this element of an African culture allowed me to realize that I am not as crazy as many of my peers and professsors would have me to believe. YaYa's description of the late-night festivals helped me to understand why I can stay up all night and sleep all day sometimes.
I was offended by one review which stated that YaYa's book describes Minankas as drug addicts. His description of the Minianka's use of herbs and medicines to heal is no different or worse than the Western philosophy of popping pills to make troubles disappear, i.e, prozac, ridalin, sleeping pills, etc. YaYa also emphasizes the importance of music in the healing process, and his descriptions of instances in which music was used to heal in his culture are both moving and sincere.
In light of American's recent "liberation" of Iraq, it was also interesting to read YaYa's description of the French colonization of Mali. "The French glorified their colonization of large parts of Africa as a 'mission civilsatirce', a civilizing mission...The textbooks spoke of Africa rarely enough and then only referred pejoratively to the 'natives', not the human beings who belonged to our continent." (120)
It has been long understood in the elevated members of my own culture, that Africa and America are inextricably connected. I believe a closer look at the statement above could easily be related to the reluctance of many Black youth in America to take an interest in formal education. The teachings in this book are, in many cases, universal and, in most cases, interesting and inspirational. YaYa Diallo tells his story with simplicistic eloquence,humor, and wisdom. The book offers much in the way of history and parables, without beating you over the head. Mitchell Hall has done an excellent job of translation.
I was required to read this book for an African Dance class I was taking at the University of Louisville. For any person who is interested in learning more about music, Minianka culture, or the world, I would highly recommend YaYa Diallo and Mitchell Hall's "The Healing Drumm", and for anyone in Louisville, I encourage you to take Harlina Churn Diallo's African Dance class. Bring out the Drums!

Over the years of owning this book I have returned to "The Healing Drum: African Wisdom Teachings" again and again. As a person of African descent I find it incredibly enriching to read the stories of Yaya Diallo as retold by Mitch Hall regarding his upbringing in the musical culture of the Miniaka (Bamana) people. We are all lucky that Diallo's words are preserved by Hall in "The Healing Drum" because a great deal of healing wisdom of Africa is oral, passed through families, thus it remains secretative. I welcome this open-hearted effort and openminded collaborative work seeking to contribute to international healing through authentic sound, as such I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking knowledge of alternate ways of healing inspired by West African spirituality.

I wanted to read this book because I have recently started learning African drumming and I wished to find out more about West African culture and how traditional music is used to heal. This was the perfect book for both aspects.

The author helps us to appreciate the culture of his village through his own experiences. We read about his struggles to follow the customs and teachings of his village as he is educated in French culture and taught to embrace the Western way of life.

We also gain an insight into the secret societies and social aspects of life in his village. Suspend disbelief at some of the awesome sights that he relates, I only wish that I could see them for myself! The sociological, psychological and religious knowledge that he reveals about his community is fascinating.

Yaya shows us that a musician in this culture does not just "play" music, music is a vital aspect of life which sustains the society and heals lost souls. The musician is a healer and a protector of the people. Each piece of music has implications, positive or negative, and the musician has a responsibility to the community to play well and appropriately.

This book has helped me to gain an insight into African culture and music; from now on my djembe playing will have more significance for me and I feel inspired by the healing potential that I now hold in my hands.

This book is about music, healing, indigenous view of life and above all, it is about harmony, which is achieved when life is lived with respect and with generosity.

Diallo is a member of the mainly agricultural Minianka/Senufo tribe living in what today is Mali. The Minianka have been able to resist the depredations which occur when Islam or X-ianity enters African societies; they are animist, that is, they still observe and follow ancient laws that emphsize the interdependence between humans, nature and the transcendent realms. Music to the Minianka music is much more than entertainment. It is used for work, celebration, ritual, inititations, funerals and healing; each activity (as well as each profession and each person) has its own special rhythms and harmonies. The MInianka understand music as a bridge between the visible and invisible. As such, it is used to establish harmonious relationships between an individual, his community, his ancestors and the Creator. Every night there is dancing at the village square - and EVERYBODY dances. Minianka musicians learn to transpose the essence of their fellow men's characters into music, so that when a villager gets to dance, he is greated by rhythms which match his/her character and emotional configuration. By observing closely, the musicians can adapt the music to the needs of the listener and thereby lead them to health. In Minianka villages, says Diallo, "musicians are healers, the healers musicians.... Music...amplifies to our sense the unheard tones and unseen waves that weave together the matter of existence. The beat, the rhythm, the timing, the orchestration, the flow, the balance between action and rest must all be within well-defined limits...and the music becomes a healing art that helps restore emotionally and psychologically disturbed people to harmonious human functioning. "

THe book is well written and brings us a close -up of Fienso, the village of Diallo's childhood. I found the descriptions of initiation ceremonies, daily work, secret societies very interesting. It made me see the Minianka society as an extremely sophisticated - where there is place for everyone and where everybody is interconnected in a web of mutual obligations between people, spirits and God. Unfortunately, the interdependence on mutual obligations makes the African society also fragile; when reciprocity inherent in such webs is interrupted, as during incursions of oil and diamond money, radical X-ianity or Islam, the African society collapses and we get what we see today in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Liberia or Sudan - lack of harmony and lack of peace.

Still, we would be fools to pass the opportunity to learn what Africans have to teach us. Music is one of the keys that can open the door of the gilded cage in which the giant of industrial nihilism has imprisoned us and Yaya Diallo shows us in this wonderful book, that it is possible to open one's body, spirit and destiny to the amazing world of harmony and beauty where true healing occurs.

James Brown was a true innovator. Nobody can take his genius away from him. He has passed on to occupy the ancestral realm. Remember the ancestors are always with us, you simply have to invoke their names.

I recommend this book for any James Brown fans or casual reader of history.

RIP to the Godfather of Soul, Soul Brother #1, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business. This been a great blow and to all of us James Brown fans here. This book was the one I needed to keep me focused. Just read it all the way through earlier this year. Very strong, uplifting and powerful. James Brown was the Hero, the Legend, the American Pioneer. He wasn't just an entertainer or a hit maker or an artist, he's a man that have overcome alot on what's happening in the world: going thru poverty, business, the Civil Rights Movement, the world, loss of jobs, politics, way of culture, way of living, and a way to express ourselves thru a meaning of religion, life, hunger, soul, pain, and suffering. The Man had it all. Boy I'mma miss him and his talent. His spirit always captures us thru this day. GOOD GOD!!!

Thanks for all the hardship and legacy you put us into, Brother James Brown.

I bought this book a couple of years ago, and once I began reading the first page I couldn't stop until I'd finished the whole book. The things that JB had to go through as a young boy, it's a wonder he didn't wind up on death row, or in an early grave. It's a good thing that he turned his attention to music, and put all he had into it. Even though he was never really raised by anyone, or had a real family life he was able to make his mark in life. I'm glad that he acknowledges the power of God, and he knows what God can do. I enjoyed reading this book. This is a must read for everyone.

I'm 34 I had listened to some James Brown manly the hits. I had the oppertunity to see his show a couple of months ago. It was fantastic. I started getting some of his other albums like the big payback(my favorite) I must tell you I'm hooked I can't get enough of that sound. I finished this book today. It was awsome his takes on things are so down to earth. If you're down with Mr. Brown than you gotta read this.

What a life. What a personality. I have enjoyed this book enormously: You get the feeling that this is James Brown telling you his extraordinary story in a long and fascinating conversation. He talks about his music, his personal life and troubles, his philosophy, and, what I think is most thrilling, show business and stage performance.

My main goal in reading this book was resolving a personal doubt: Was he the genius behind his records, or was it Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley or his producers? After reading the book and listening to his records with lots of new insights, I have little doubt that the main driving force (although not the only one) in his records was himself. What Brown says about his music, where it came from, how it was made, what he intended to say, really made me discover many things in his records! For instance, if you have 'Live At The Apollo (1963)' (one of Brown's best albums) or have listened to it, DON'T MISS what he has to say about it -and play the LP again. I couldn't stop laughing for almost a quarter of an hour.

On another hand, I was also wondering: Is he a ruthless, egotistic and authoritarian character, as he is sometimes portrayed? In the book, JB openly and candidly talks about the discipline in his band, prison, guns, Black Power, and politics; and, paradoxically, in the end I finished with the impression of having received a lesson in confidence in man, tolerance, faith and spirituality. Soulful singers like him or BB King really have something to say about life-not only in their records.

On a last note, I think the (co-)writer Bruce Tucker has structured the book very well, hooking you from the beginning until the last page. As usual, it is better to avoid beginning with the prefaces and forewords, and leave them for the end. Only a little information about musicians in the sessions would have been welcome -although it is true that it's not the scope of the book.

Definitely worth reading it if you are a James Brown fan, and also very commendable if you are interested in music in general.

this will teach you the fundamentals in creating your own voice in jazz guitar, instead of wriggling your fingers, now you can play interesting triadic lines and hip modern superimposed harmonies, thank you andrew green!

Very clever book, I never read the notions explained here anywhere else,
or maybe it was because it wasn't clear enough. The material is precisely
organized and the examples sound great. This gave me another way to hear
bebop, recognizing some structures.

You have a lot to work on this stuff to make it comes naturally, but the
challenge is really worthy, so good luck !

peace

This book, though limited to just a few melodic structures, gives a very good insight to what improvisation is about: telling your own story, using coherent and consistent melodic structures. It goes to the basis, and because it doesn't overwhelm you with all possible modes/scales/structures but just sticks to a few powerfull tools, enables you to understand and implement. A must for the advanced guitar player.

I have all of Green's books and they are uniformly excellent. Structures gives you a wealth of applicable information. Not scales, or licks, or weenie theory, but applicable ideas. Intermediate++.

This book has been the stepping stone I need to get to applying arpeggios all over the neck and combining different sounds with them. I've only gotten through the 1st section (minor arpeggios) and I'm not only more able to connect arpeggios over the neck but also able to substitute them in over other chords. For instance, before this book I didn't know how to substitute and play only minor arpeggios over a ii V I progression. Now I know multiple ways and can very the sound depending on degree of the chord I build off of. There is a lot of information and so much to get out of the book. The other sections that I haven't even gotten to yet covers in the same way how to use and apply major triad +2 and minor tetrachords.

The best thing about Andrew's two books I have (Comping is the other I have) is they way he presents things. The examples he gives allow you to understand the concept and then later know how to easily apply it. So many books give too few examples that are so easily applicable outside the book.

To get a better idea of the contents of the book, check out Andrew Green's website at www.[...]com. This along with his Comping book have been two of my favorite books in a while. Know that both of these books require reading skills (no tab) and they are not aimed at beginners.

The only thing about this book I would have liked to see were lists of the recordings these transcriptions came from. My guess is that the average jazz student(especially guitar players!) can't sight-read many of the polyrythmic figures. Plus, things like nuance and dynamic tend to get lost in transcriptions.

I love this book. It gives a lot of insight into the genius of Joe Pass. I use it mostly to verify what I have transcribed by ear.

I've been playing guitar for almost 20 years now and jazz has always been a mystery to me. I always wanted to play jazz standards but never had the patience to learn them. After trying many boring and unnecessarily difficult books, I bought Dan Towey's Chord Melodies on Hal Leonard and that got me started. I was hooked. I was then looking for a more challening book, one that I could impress my audience with. When I found these note-for-note transcriptions of Joe Pass' Virtuoso recordings, I thought I'd give it a try but wasn't too serious about it. I figured this would be way out of my league.

Well, I've had this book for a week now and can't let my guitar down. I have learned the beautiful "Have You Met Miss Jones" standard by practicing over four hours a day. Unlike some books on chord melodies, Joe Pass does not use super complicated chords but rather a beautiful melody line along with swinging rhythms. For a non-jazz guitarist like me, it turned out to be a really good fit. This book is definitely for advanced guitarists but it certainly isn't out of reach for those of us who are prepared to practice hard.

The transcriptions are very accurate and the fingerings are top notch. Roland Leone did a fantastic job both in terms of accuracy and practicality. Highly recommended.

This book is a great resource for those who want to study the solo guitar style of Joe Pass. Since Joe used alot of different textures and approaches in his solo work, a musician can find many different approaches to how to build lines, create interesting harmonies and keep the interest of the listener in every song transcribed.

I had heard Joe Pass.
This book give me the opportunity to approach modestly his art.
And better feel the beauty.
Thank you Joe, thank you Roland.

I loved this whole series. They are easy to read and if you read the first book you will love hearing the continuation of the characters lives. This book can be stand alone, but I think it is easier to keep track of the characters if you have read the first one.

Another great story from Terri Blackstock. I tend to stick to Christian authors because I enjoy the content. This book was no different. Terri can shape the characters into anything she desires. This book is full of romance, suspense and intrigue. A who-done-it that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I have now read all the books in this series. I am waiting patiently for another one of her fantastic stories. Thanks Terri.

Another Teri Blackstock goodie! This has a different twist from the beginning that is enjoyable. I am a Mary Higgins Clark fan and have found Teri Blackstock to be a comparable author and story teller. I especially appreciate her Christian perspective. It is not overwhelming but realistic about how real Christians live their lives. They are not super people who never have problems but real folks who deal with their problems through their faith in Christ.

I bought this book for my Mom as a Christmas gift. She read the book in two days and absolutely loved it!! She now has 2 books from this series and can't wait to get the other ones!!

Terri Blackstock is a master story weaver. Her characters are believable and she keeps you glued to the pages until the very last one.

A murder mystery set in the Pacific Northwest with twists and turns galore plus a tempestuous romance between two strong-willed individuals adds up to a first-rate first novel.

Alderman describes the scene perfectly. Although I've never been to the Pacific Northwest or on a commercial fishing boat, I can now picture what it'd be like. This turned out to be a real page-turner for me.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Kaz Jorgenson works in the high powered white collar world in San Francisco when she is called home to Oregon. Her twin brother Gary is in trouble and Kaz is the only one who can help him. Shortly after her return, Gary's good friend and partner in their fishing business is brutally murdered and Gary is accused.

Michael Chapman, an arson investigator, is running from memories in his past and comes to Astoria as the new fire chief. His first day on the job, he's caught up in investigating the murder of Gary's partner. This has him butting heads with Kaz from the beginning and surprisingly, they find themselves drawn to each other.

Now Kaz and Michael must work together to get to the bottom of the mystery. What they find only leads them to more questions... questions to which the answers may mean their deaths.

A Killing Tide by P J Alderman is a winning debut novel. All the elements can be found to make for a stunning romantic suspense that will leave you gasping for breath. Though I had the real villain figured out immediately, and his motive, the journey we follow along with Kaz and Michael takes us many different directions on the quest for answers.

The romance blossoms between Kaz and Michael at a natural pace, making it seem all the more believable. They both have shadows in their past that affect them to this day. Both are flawed people who can finally begin to heal once they find each other and work through their issues together. I found myself sitting there alongside them, crying their tears and sharing their laughs as I learned more about them both.

A Killing Tide would not be complete without its exemplary cast of secondary characters. After all who can resist Zeke the dog who acts almost human at times? Each character is unique and individual, with their own thoughts and fears. None of them are like the two-dimensional characters some authors use as filler for a story. Every player, from the fisherman to the cops is key to the story. And of course we can't forget the town of Astoria itself. It is a character as well, teaching us about the life of a fisherman and the hardships they experience on a daily basis. We also get the feeling of the small town where everyone knows everyone else.

P J Alderman shows strong talent with A Killing Tide. Keep an eye out because this is a name I see making it to the top of the list for the genre in the not-too-distant future.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, January 2007. All rights reserved.

I got the book about 3 p.m., took it home, ate a quick meal and sat down to read. I surfaced at 1 a.m., when I finished the WHOLE thing.
I liked the characters, Kaz, Michael and the dog, Zeke. The intrigue kept me turning the pages, although I did sniff out the bad guy early on. The interweaving of the suspense/romance with the life of the fishing community in Astoria was fascinating to me, a native midwesterner who did not see an ocean until middle age.
The author's attention to detail in the fire scene showed careful research well applied.
A great Book I, and I look forward to more.

One of the things I appreciate in romantic suspense is a strong, independent heroine and this novel delivers. Kaz is not only a successful executive, she's also a river bar pilot, for heaven's sake. She's in Astoria, Oregon, to help her brother and this author brings the small coastal town to life. The rendition of the town is rich, complex, and atmospheric (another thing I appreciate in a novel).

The romance with Michael, the firefighter who's new in town, is also complex and intelligently handled. Nothing sappy about it. Michael is strong and handsome of course, but absolutely real. And talk about romantic tension. You can feel it from the very start.

The supporting characters are intriguing too, with a nice variety of people you'd expect to find in a small town plus some you wouldn't.
Another thing I liked was the humor sprinkled throughout the book. How often do you get to read a book that delivers suspense and romance and atmosphere and humor?

I read A KILLING TIDE straight through...couldn't put it down. I just had to find out what happens with these characters and their dilemmas. This is one of the best novels in the romantic suspense genre that I've read in a long time.

Kaz Jorgenson leaves her job in San Francisco, to come home to Oregon and help her twin brother Gary with his fishing business. When Gary's partner and friend is brutally killed and he's charged with the crime he runs leaving Kaz holding the bag and having to try to figure out who the killer really is. She's not alone in fact Kaz has help from Michael Chapman, Astoria's new arson investigator.

Michael is from Boston and Astoria is as far away from that place as he can get and still stay in the country. Hopefully it's also far enough away that he will be able to bury the past he's running from. He's not given much chance when he finds himself pulled into a case where the suspect's sister is a danger he never expected. Unprepared for the sparks that instantly ignite between them and will Kaz and Michael be able to stay one step ahead of a killer who is not yet satisfied?

If I had to come up with one word to describe this debut effort it would have to be "WOW." This author has deftly woven all the threads of the story together into a seamless page turning romantic-suspense. Kaz and Michael are entertaining characters and this is not your typical romance. Kaz is a strong heroine, one that is not waiting for her prince to save her bacon. You've got to appreciate this element of her character. Michael is a fine match for Kaz. This is a page turning read and one I recommend if you enjoy a good romantic suspense. This is one author I plan on watching.

This is an absolutely beautiful book for all lovers of books and reading. Highly recommended.

The LIBRARY AT NIGHT is an ideal blend of contemplation and observation, of thought and history. With chapters that read like short stories it is accessible to the 'not enough time" as to the "google stupidized" reader. A great gift for any librarian, or reader of books. Books in history . . . back to the shelves. Leaves the reading feeling like he's just left a scene from The Ninth Gate.

The Library At Night is the first book I have read by Alberto Manguel. I can say now, after completing it earlier today, that I am looking forward to reading other selections that this author has written.

I was not quite sure what to expect from this book, from simply reading the title. I could only hope that it would not disappoint and it did not. The book is broken down into 15 chapters. Each of them begins with "The Library As...." You can fill in the blank with such words as "Power," "Myth," "Shadow," and "Chance" (among 11 others). The chapters begin with personal anecdotes from Manguel. We learn a lot about who he is as well as the extent of his personal library. Following the brief reflection, he delves into well-researched historical data that revolve around his chapter topics. The stories he tells flow nicely together and endnotes are provided in the back of the book for further reading. The chapters are quite strong, though I really was expecting more from the last two chapters.

The only negative aspects, and really they aren't negative to all, of this book are Manguel's erudite use of language. He excels at linguistics and I found myself needing a dictionary nearby to help me through the text. Manguel makes many comparisons throughout the text between books, many of which, I had not heard of before. While I was excited about these newly discovered books,at least to me, they are not commonplace. So, yes, this book is written on a somewhat high intellectual level and a portion of its charm is lost by the author speaking over the reader's head.

Alberto Manguel's The Library At Night is a curious confection: ostensibly a love letter to bookishness, it rejoices in collections of books and their owners through many prisms; how they're collected, how they can be arranged (as many different ways as you like), how they represent knowledge, time or space - even how the space they occupy can express the personality or idiosyncrasy of their collector.

It will instantly appeal to those, like me, who aspire to have their own "real" library one day (I am hoping mine evolves from its current status as a mere collection of books on a few dusty shelves, though I don't know - and this is one aspect Manguel doesn't delve into - what it takes for a merely juvenile collection of books to matriculate to a mature library).

Manguel also describes libraries through the content of the books they hold, and his range is eclectic, from Greek poets, Arab philosophers and Jewish philanthropists to Anglo-Saxon fantasists like Shelley and, memorably, Stoker. Each new vista builds a new perspective, but curiously after these multiple shafts of light, while one is well illuminated, the general impression is no more specific than that libraries - physical libraries - are pretty neat and we'd be worse off without them.

Which, for a while, made me ponder what the point of the book really was. After all, who could disagree with that?

But then it occurred to me, as surely it did to Manguel, that *we* could, in the same way we've, collectively, disagreed that it's strictly necessary to have a record collection or a even a television any more. Books may not have succumbed quite so easily to the digital ether as did music or film - yet - but there's no reason to suppose that state of affairs is irreversible, and if dear old Amazon would kindly (!) sort out its Kindle supply chain, we might yet shortly see a precipitous decline.

Manguel's subtext is that this would be a frightful outcome. He is certainly more equivocal about digital libraries than he is about physical ones, and sees the advent of the electronic book as a threat to the legitimacy and, possibly, longevity of his bibliophilia. For what good are batty old books, occupying acres of floor-space, however splendid the architecture, when you can have millions of volumes on a portable hard drive?

This issue Manguel only really addresses obliquely, and many of his arguments to counter this position are fatuous (especially as regards the durability of electronic information). The gating issue will be whether les gens can be persuaded to curl up with a Kindle rather than a book. I haven't seen one yet, so I'm yet to be persuaded, and that question alone might save the library's bacon. But otherwise the digital realm solves many of the drawbacks (like an optimistic computer programmer, I suppose he would call them "features") of physical libraries that Manguel documents, such as their physical space and susceptibility to combustion. Such as their inherent need to be ordered one way, no matter how cleverly, to the exclusion of all others. Such as the extreme limitations they impose on the actual retrieval of information (imagine how powerful it would be to be able to Google search the text of an entire library. With a digital library, you can).

All told, Manguel adopts a narrow concept of the value of a library, suitable for dinner parties and night time expeditions, but which won't be familiar to the younger generation who have grown up with Google. Though I am sure he would hotly dispute it, I suspect Manguel would emphasise the space, spirit and idiosyncrasy of a library over its actual, textual content; he would accentuate the intellectual statement a library makes over the intellectual statements contained within it; he would value a book's spine as much as he would the pages bound by it. There is a place for that view - to a certain degree, I share it: I like visitors to my house to see my collection of books, which one day may be a library, and I don't expect them to open any of them.

But when using it in anger, when studying or writing; when I need to quickly find what I am looking for, my physical collection can irritate me intensely. At those points - real ones for genuine scholars, you would think - Manguel's cosy view seems Luddite and hopelessly outdated. For professional library users - as opposed to literate bon vivants - the Google revolution will bring only positive change to what used to be a rather painful and time-consuming endeavour.

Whilst this remains a heartfelt and warmly written elegy, it remains likely that, before long, its subject will be a bygone age. We will have to find new ways to represent our learning. The web is already generating them: perhaps Alberto Manguel should set aside his scepticism and sign up to LibraryThing, and catalogue his books there. Wonders never cease.

Olly Buxton

Alberto Manguel has produced a romantic history of libraries which incorporates their best feature: the ability to wander down hitherto unsuspected byways and make new discoveries, often winding up far from your original objective but still satisfied by what you have found instead. This is a discursive history of libraries through various categories: Myth, Order, etc. with fascinating essays for each. Those who love reading and libraries will learn much history and philosophy and will recognize in Manguel a kindred spirit and friend.

I have very high standards when it comes to idols (at least by my warped definition). Mrs. Lynn managed to be both an idol and hero to me. She is a strong out spoken female that refuses to compromise her beliefs to fit into a cookie cutter/hollywood type image. The best day of my life was getting to visit her ranch and pose for a photo on her steps. I love both of her books although Still Woman Enough is my favorite as she is completely relaxed in being herself. Loretta Lynn is an inspritation for all women young and old that have had to overcome hard challenges in life.

I have been completely in love with Loretta Lynn ever since I saw "Coal Miner's Daughter." I didn't even know who she was til I watched the movie at age 14, then I read the book and became hooked on her music. She is an amazing woman. Her life has been hard, and she doesn't take any of her success for granted. She is who she is. What you see is what you get with her. I don't know if anyone who reads her book could relate to half of what she has experienced, but it makes for interesting reading. I was lucky enough to see her live in concert a month ago, and when she walked out on that stage, I was brought literally to tears. I just couldn't believe this woman I admire so highly was actually standing in front of me. I'll never forget that night. And I will never stop loving Loretta Lynn. Read BOTH of her autobiographies. Both are excellent.

This is one of the greatest books that has ever been written. My father was a coal miner until he got hurt. I sing my self and loretta is just so good. Being from the same state she is i guess the reason she has such a influenece on my life. If you read this book you will love it.

Very interesting. This woman has led a very difficult life, but she never seems to lose her spirit.

A grandmother at 28? Wow! I learned a lot of interesting things about 1) the country music star, and 2) about coming up hard and making it work out.

This book is Loretta Lynn's tale of her childhood in Butcher Holler with her poor but pround parents. Her parents allow her to be married off to a man she barely knows when she is 13. Amazingly, she remains married to this man for the rest of his life.

Anyway, the husband encourages Loretta to sing publicly because he thinks she has a great voice. And I don't need to tell you how the career goes, because that's pretty popular knowledge.

All in all, this was a great book. Very well developed and informative, whether you're a country music fan or not.