A Books

This was an amazing fantasy novel. It's entertaining, hilarious, and heartwarming. The detail of ancient China, its traditions and beliefs are very vivid, and there are "feel good" parts to it that remind me of a Disney/Pixar movie (terrible analogy, I know, but that's what comes to me when I think of the feeling it gave me). The solutions that Li and Ox come up with to get themselves out of their various predicaments are clever in their conception and exciting in their execution, and I'm very interested in reading the next books in the series.

I've never read anything like Bridge of Birds, and I spent my first law school semester re-reading it in my spare time. With few exceptions, I never had any idea what was going to happen. I laughed like a loon during one of the murder scenes - I don't want to give away any more, but it was deliciously ironic - and was humbled by the intellect of the character who figured out the overarching mystery. The last few chapters were like a roller coaster. I felt like I was flying during the climax, and that alone would have prompted an eventual reread and reccommendation. I can't *not* reccommend Bridge of Birds to everyone, but I am aware that those who dislike complex storytelling would be totally confused before they got anywhere in the book. I will now go off in pursuit of modestly-priced copies of the other two Hughart novels...

This novel of an 'Ancient China that Never Was' is a brilliant gem of interweaving storylines that made me both smile and cry. It was alternately silly and beautiful, so much so that I want to use overblown adjectives to describe it. Basically, it was about a man looking to find a cure for a disease affecting the children of his village, but it turns out to be so much more.

When first starting the novel, it seemed a simple quest novel, usual for the fantasy genre. As it went on, it seemed more like a series of connected short stories with the same characters with perhaps an overarching goal for the main character. Then it went on some more, and it began to quickly connect. Characters once met were met again, and again. They changed, told their stories, and moved on, leaving the book and the main character changed.

By the time the book was over, I just sat there crying yet smiling with happiness at having read it and at the gorgeous ending. If you are not sobbing at that time, or when one of the characters has his letter to his daughter read, you are a much stronger person than me. I turned this book over to my husband who upon finishing agreed that it was a shame that the author did not have a large list of books for us to dive into.

Someone who reviewed this said it was not an accurate representation of ancient China. It truly is no more accurate in describing ancient China than modern fantasy novels describing medieval life or the Dark Ages, but as you read it, you realize that's not what you're reading it for. The way it glosses over facts and grittiness makes it a stronger work.

This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read.
I have 2 copies. One to treasure and one to lend.

I just loved this book. I don't know how to describe it, other than fantasitical literature told in the first person with a very funny main character.

If you like like literature, ancient peoples, and fantasy, you'll love this book.

I loved this book as a kid and now own it and read it to my kids. I love everything about it (the pictures and the story).

This is an all around great book! We have loved reading this book over and over. It brings a smile to your face and lifts you up! As authors ourselves, it is inspirational to see books written by other authors.
Darla, Sydney and Jimmy Batchler

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

This book has been one of my favorite children's book since I was young. Today i find it as an inspiration that a book can stay with a child throughout their entire life.

This book is my proclaimed favorite book of all my childhood. I read this book so much that I had to buy a replacement for it when I was 18 because the original was falling apart. I cannot wait for the birth of my daughter so I can read to her about the silly story of a town that receives its food from the sky until the weather makes a turn for the worse. The pictures still crack me up, and the detail is quite nice. As I grew older I searched for different foods and hidden details in the illustrations. I always liked the length of this book, because most bedtime stories seemed too short for me. I grew up an avid reader from a family with little time or money to keep me occupied, getting my amusement from books.

I can't believe this book has 5 stars. . I'm so confused. I bought this book for my kids for Christmas after reading the rave reviews...and I can't express how completely disappointed I am. Rather than being "whimsical" the book was more "disturbing" with a touch of "nauseating". After I read this book to my six year old she offered to take it to her school and donate it to the school library. . . that oughta tell you something.

As a native Oregonian, the attraction of reading a diary of one who made the Oregon Trail journey was met with eager anticipation. Early on, the diary though very interesting, soon became a series of calamities that left the reader thinking, what else could this poor family possibly endure? As the journey continued, it became apparent that the author had taken great liberty and creative license to spice up this historical adventure. By the end of the diary it was discovered that this work was fiction, which resulted in great disappointment, leaving the reader feeling mislead. As a work of fiction based on possible Oregon Trail experiences, this book proves to be entertaining, however it is not a true diary.

It has been years since I have read this book. I can still, to this day, remember the effect this book had on me. I was eight or nine at the time. I remember reading the diary entries and feeling as if I were right there next to Hattie, walking in the dirt or the snow. I cried at times when something bad had happened to Hattie or the people around her. I felt compassion, and found myself wanting to reach into the book and help the people myself. I learned many things about life in that time period that I had never known. I had learned about pioneers in school, but I never imagined that it would be as hard or as rewarding of an experience for them to go through.

The book made an impact on me from page one. I highly recommend it.

This book is a great one. It is about a girl named Hattie and about her life going on the Oregon Trail. She faces many troubles and all the things that happened to her. It is very emotional. There's good times : ) and bad times : ( . But it all works out well!!!!!( I hope I didn't spoil the ending for you!!!!) : )

I read this when it first came out, when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I loved this story and could not put it down. Plus, when we started talking about the Oregon Trail in class, I was really interested in it and prepared for it. It is my favorite book of the Dear America series, and it is one of the most amazing children's story ever. The only criticism I can make is that sometimes it is hard to sympathize with Hattie; she is not the best Dear America character.

I love 'Oregon Trail' stories and this one was no exception. The story is stunningly written, and a careful line is trod between emphasizing the dangers and discomforts of the trail without making the story seem scary or unpleasant to the reader.

My only real gripe about this book (and not even a big enough gripe to drop a star, so take it for the whining that it is) is that the adult characters can be pretty stupid at times. I know this is a staple of children's literature in order to forment conflict (after all, conflict couldn't form very easily if all these adults were competant), but it's simply infuriating that the two resident thieves in the group are continually treated with 'Christian charity' in an atmosphere where one's possessions often meant the difference between life and death. It may seem very natural, to our modern American eyes, to overlook the theft of a sweater, but when that's the only sweater a child owns and a cold night is falling, you can bet that is a much bigger deal than previously realized.

Nevertheless, this book is still superb. Buy it, read it, enjoy it. Just be prepared to explain to your children that being 'charitable' doesn't mean you have to be a victim.

I purchased this book based on previous Amazon reviews and was expecting it to be good - but I didn't expect it to take over my life and my kitchen! I have bowls of sour dough seed starters, barms and pate fermente. I'm stretching my dough to see if it passes the "window pane" test and sticking my milk frothing thermometer into the risen dough to see if it is warm enough - there is so much to learn in this book and it is so much FUN!!! You can use a machine mixer if you like - the author is encouraging of a variety of methods of kneading and proofing - and so far I have had great results - the instructions are very detailed and easy to follow.
My only criticism is that I would want a few more pictures of the dough in its different stages particularly for the more complex recipes involving several different stages of wild yeast starter. I had no visual reference to see if my starter looked right on the final day. But a small point in an otherwise magnificent book!

Excellent bread book. The recipes are awesome. I have tried 4-5 of them and all of them turned out great. Now I bake better bread than most of the store-bought ones!

This is an excellent, comprehensive book to help you produce incredible breads. Every time a loaf comes from my oven, friends & family alike beg me to open a bakery.

Just can't say enough about Peter Rhinehart. I have bought 3 of his books so far. He IS a master at what he does. Even the beginner can make delicious bread, pizza......whatever, if they are dedicated to following his formulas. Be prepared though, these aren't recipes where you just throw some yeast in and have bread in a few hours. Most of his formulas take 2 or 3 days to complete. The taste will probably be the best you have ever eaten.....and you will have made it yourself!!

The printing of this book is totally lousy. The spine weakened within just a few weeks. This is my main complaint because I just don't think it will hold up to years of opening and closing. I can see this as coming apart.

This work of fiction has fooled too many 'historians" to mention here. Proof? Just double-check Sajer's facts. For example, Sager claims to have witnessed a daylight Allied air raid against Berlin in the spring of 1943, before the Battle of Kursk. Sorry, Sager, but the first Allied daylight raid against Berlin was flown in March 1944. Then Sager claims to have seen Hitler Youth lads fighting alongside his panzergrenadier unit at Kursk. No Hitler Youth fought at Kursk, and Germany never clothed its grenadiers in HJ uniforms. After Kursk, Sager claims to have fought at Konotop, but the history of the German 183th Infantry Division [Weg und Schicksal der 183rd Infanterie-Division] , which defended Konotop in September 1943, makes it clear that no German armored or panzergrenadier units supported its efforts and the detailed situation map (a copy of an original) in the book does not depict the Grossdeutschland Division anywhere near the town. Similarly, Sager makes no mention of the Grossdeutschland Division's epic battles fought at Kirowograd, Rownoje, Cornesti, or even Targul Frumos. Instead, he claims to have spent much of this period of the war with his panzergrenadier company fighting Soviet partisan bands, a mission not typically assigned to elite panzergrenadier formations and one not mentioned in the Grossdeutschland Division's three-volume detailed factual history, by Helmuth Spaeter. Spaeter by the way went to his grave believing Sager was a fraud. Unfortunately, so many lazy historians (mostly American) have quoted Sager's bull as fact in their own manuscripts that they have a vested interest in perpetuating the myth of the Forgotten Soldier. Read Sager's book for fun; enjoy the novel. But even as a novel, the Forgotten Soldier can't hold a candle to either "The Cross of Iron" (Willi Heinrich) or "If This Be Glory" (Hasso G. Stachow), two of the very best novels on the German experience on the Eastern Front in WWII. Of course, Heinrich and Stachow fought on the Eastern Front; Sager didn't, and that makes a world of difference in terms of authenticity and accuracy.

Best War Book
This is not an anti-war book.
It is an eye witness account of war.
Read this book whether you hate or love war.

The best "ground" WWII book I have ever read. I'll never forget this book as long as I live.
You'll discover a whole new world if this is your first German/Russian WWII book.

Echos of Remarque's "All Quiet on the Western Front" - this book's actual accounts will leave the reader mentally drained. The graphic reality of combat on the Eastern front are jaw dropping. Combat experiences are conveyed expertly without self-praise nor self-loathing - just the facts and the struggle. Politics are abscent. The story shows a man's journey and his witness to the horrors of war in depths that could never be duplicated in other forms of media. If done in film it would be "Saving Private Ryan" to the factor of ten.

A prize book in my personal collection.

Awsome - the one word I use to describe this book.

Debates exist whether this book is non-fiction or fiction mainly due to the inaccuracies regarding specific details, some minor such as uniform markings. However, after researching this topic I came across a letter to the Editor of "Military Review", printed in the March-April 1997 edition, by a Douglas E. Nash. Nash eventually located Sajer and brought up some critical points that skeptics thought up regarding Sajer's inaccurracies. Sajer basically replied that what he wrote was concerned with what he experienced first-hand, and that he did not intend to write a tatical, encyclopedia-type war book.

After learning about this, my anxiety was gone - since I was concerned that the graphic, lucid, and gripping battle descriptions in this book may be all imaginary. But they are all true. It is amazing that anyone could survive a major battle on the Eastern Front after reading what Sajer and his fellow soldiers encountered. A must read.

Fantastic book, I recommend it to many of my students at work. I cried and cried at the end. We certainly have no idea in our cosy 2007 world. A brave, graphic and well written book.

She was one in thirty five that returned...Originally, five hundred left. Into the ghetto then into cattle cars, off to fend for their lives. Thirteen year old Elli (later, changing her name to Livia. Yes, this is a true story!) was one of many young, Jewish, innocent, Holocaust victims. Elli and her family lived a comfortable life. They owned a local gocerey store, they were successful and had many close friends and family...that is, until Germany took over. In March 1944, the Nazis invaded Hungary. Privledges were taken away slowly but surely, no more school, giving up prized possessions and their store, having to wear yellow stars. What was this? No one knew. SUddenly, Elli finds that all will be lost. Elli's family is moved into a crowded ghetto, and they lose all the privledges and possessions that they hadn't already lose. It took everything they had to survive, yet little did they know, this was only the beginning. Soon, they were put on cattle cars. Ellie's family was spilt up among concentration camps; although, Ellie and her mother managed to stay together and survive some of the harshest punishments the Nazis dished out. This is a remarkable memoir of a teenage girl who no doubt had, lived a thousand years, she had no chouce. Her hope and faith along with her suffering and fears, you won't beleive a thirteen year old would've realized and out smarted the Nazis in such ways. Not only is this a beautiful story of survival but an ugly piece of history. Having background on WOrld War II helped me understand a bit more but also this book taught me a great deal of history, another reason to read. This book, was definitely a fast read, I couldn't put it down. You're constantly wondering..."Will she survive?! How will she out smart them this time?! Will she escape?!" You would definitely need to enjoy survival and history to get through this novel and also know that some chapters are a bit graphic. This woman went through the unthinkable and she doesn't hold back on letting you know that. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an amazing story with some history behind it. Livia Bitton-Jackson is a part of our history and survived as one of thirty five returning of an original five hundred. This woman did the unthinkable.

-Kaitlyn Toner

I read this book years ago, when I was about 10 years old and didn't even understand fully the depth of the Holocaust. But even then I enjoyed this tale of a girl surviving against the odds. Great book for everyone; helps even the young to understand the plight of millions during that dark era and got me interesting in the Holocaust.

This book is so powerful. I have read many stories of Holocaust survivors, but few if any have presented such a vivid view of the horrors the Jews faced. Some parts were disturbing, but they describe true history, so they are definitely important to read. If you're interested in the Holocaust, this is a great read.

"I Have Lived A Thousand Years" is a personal and gut-wrenching story of how a 13-year old girl survived the German Holocaust in the death camp of Auschwitz. The book is fairly short with short chapters. It is obviously written for adolescent readers, but can certainly be appreciated by adults as well. This is a very good first book for teens to learn about the Holocaust. It is written in the first person, and we "see" the horrifying conditions through the author's sensitve eyes.

The story is gripping from page one to the last page. It should be read and then discussed with the adolescent reader, as many questions will be raised as to the horrific nature of the Holocaust.

There are many good Holocost books, but the stark reality presented in this book, along with the narrative style, makes this an excellent introductory first-person account to the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Jim Koenig

Jeanne Carley clearly loves ferrets, as is evidenced by her awesome photography. If you love ferrets, you'll love the cute and lovable pictures in this calender. To make it even better, this year's theme is musical, making a music lover like me ecstatic. I can't wait to get to the next month to see the next picture! Having this calendar up at work also sparked interest among my co-workers about ferrets and gives me an opportunity to talk about my fuzzies. It's a shame that the Governator forgot his Kindergarten Cop days and lets misnomers about this wonderful pet rule his governorship. Once again, 3 cheers for Jeanne and her work!

The Ferret Calendar is my absolute favorite calendar of all. The photographs are outstanding! As I have had many ferrets over the years, and I'm an avid photographer myself, I know how hard it is to photograph them. Jeanne Carley does a wonderful job of portraying the ferret in such positive ways. Though there are other ferret calendars out there, I feel that this one is the best of all of them. Thank you Jeanne!! Please continue to produce this calendar as I am a customer for life!!

I love your ferret calendars. Sure ive seen other calendars but i dont find them to capture the joy and cuteness of the furbies as u do! Only a non ferret lover could have anything bad to say about this calendar....A+ here. I'll always be a faithful buyer. I hope u never stop printing them =) hehe.

We are long time fans of Jeanne and at one point had 13 Ferrets running lose in our condo here in Fl. We look forward to looking at the wonderful pics and pose's that Jeanne uses every year. It reminds us of our very own babies. How anyone could give a bad review on these calandars cann't be a Ferret Owner or lover. Jeanne please keep up the great work, we have kept every one since at least 1995, and look at them often.

Not the best calendar ever. I've seen better. Also just learned the dates for some holidays are not correct. I hope next years is better. I give this calendar a D+.

this is the book the nice man on the cover gave to me after he touched me in a bad place.

If you are a fan of Jimmy Norton and would like to learn a little more about him and laugh a lot more, then buy this book. It is a good read and not for anyone that get offended easily.

This is a fun book to read for a man, but I wouldn't recommend it to a woman.

The book is pretty explicit. Coarse language is used, so definitely not recommended for kids.

I started reading the book but quit half way through. I did enjoy it at first, and did laugh out loud, but it just got too much at the end. I found the book too repetitious, sick at times and overly perverted. I did not like it when he talked of kids and sex. I know he is trying to be funny, but one should draw the line somewhere. There are some sick people out there who might just take him seriously. Words are mightier than the sword, so we should really be careful about what we say.

I would prefer seeing the book performed in a comedy club than actually reading it. I think the jokes and stories would sound better in a club with other people participating and laughing. Sometimes you find yourself laughing at mediocre jokes or stories when you hear others laugh. After all, that's why TV programs sometimes have a live audience or recorded laughter in the background.

You might also want to check out the audio version of this book, which is read by the author.

I bought the book based on a Norton interview that he gave to Maxim magazine. Based on the interview I expected more down in the dirt sex depravity out of this character and I found it sparse in that department. I expected more 'monster rain' events in his life but instead it was more random journals from his days on the comedy circuit junket. He tends to have the same problem a lot of comics do, which is their comedy doesn't translate well to the printed page... given how perverted he looks with his bug eyes, the physical comedy plays a lot better [especially on Lucky Louie in that stained bathrobe].

As far as shocks go, Dave Attell's new material is exactly what this book should have been.

I like Jimmy and O&A, but this book was a chore to finish. I was expecting a book of interesting stories of his sexual tastes, but instead it is mostly a bunch of random entries from an uninteresting diary. 3 chapters (if you can call them chapters) devoted to silly TV show ideas? Let's spread them out in the book so no one will notice they are essentially the same thing. When the book sticks to the the topic matter of hookers it wasn't bad, but the rest of the chapters should have been titled,"Who Cares", which is what I found myself repeatedly saying out loud.

I did laugh a few times, hence the 2 stars instead of 1.

This book is full of wonderful vegan cupcakes. Great recipes, and a detailed education on baking them in the beginning.

We bought this book because our daughter has an egg allergy. The chocolate cupcakes are perfect (I did use whole milk instead of soy but I'm sure soy would be great too). Everyone who has tried them can't believe that they are egg-less and it actually tastes just as good as my Mom's chocolate cake (with dairy) that has been a family favorite forever. I do eat dairy but I would choose to make the chocolate cupcakes over regular chocolate cake recipes any day. Can't wait to try more!

I bought this book on an excited recommendation of a friend of mine and, I must say, I'm now just as overjoyed as she is. I just got the book last week and have already made the Gingerbread cupcakes w/ Lemon Buttercream frosting and Coconut Lime cupcakes with Lime Buttercream frosting. Both batches were gone within a day they're so unbelievably good. I seriously cannot.stop.eating them.

This book looks full of great delicious looking cupcake recipes and also offers useful tips throughout the book. The author's experience is obvious in the helpful tips. It offers ganauche, basic icing recipes that you can vary throughout the book: it's simple, organized, and straightforward. However, non-hydrogenated shortening and non-hydrogenated margerine are staples in the icing which is brilliant but I don't know where to find non-hydrogenated shortening. Otherwise there are no really specialty items to buy. It looks really good.. i haven't tried it yet. But there are just enough pictures... not on every single page like some other overpriced modern-looking cookbooks... but just enough to show the important stuff. I want to buy Veganomicon now.

I have been baking my way through Ms. Moskowitz' book and have made the best cupcakes I've made in years! My family has been enjoying the treats and any problems have been due to my error, not due to any problems with the recipes themselves. No one needs to spend money on "Sprinkles" cupcakes when they have this wonderful book at their fingertips!!

I love this book. Even when I know quite a bit about something he manages to tell me more.

A scientific approach to cooking. It covers all aspexts of food preparation, has extensive bibliography and a good index. This book is not for casual cookers. The reader has to be serious in his desire to profundize his knowledge of the minutia that makes the difference between a casually prepared dish and a great one. He/she have to possess some knowledge of chemistry to get a good information in regard to the delicate aspects of different forms of heat, coockware etc. All and all, it is an excellent source of good information for the serious cook.

I looked for a book that would help me understand which variables can I manipulate to affect the outcome in my cooking of : meat, bread, eggs, sauces, vegetables ... etc. And would help me with food handling practice - bringing it out of habit in to understanding. Different cultures handle food differently - I wanted to understand what effects those habits have. How does food spoil? And what are the variables that one can control - and how do cultures control them?

This book responds to those questions, bringing real understanding to my kitchen. And it responds to them on both an overview level and a scientific level, and one can engage either or both.

The book really appeals to be because this isn't a scientist writing dryly about food, this is a food lover bringing the context of history and science to food preparation.

I bought this book for my husband, at his request. He's not much of a cook, but he is intrigued by the encyclopedic knowledge of food and food preparation that this book includes. He is very pleased with the purchase. And I will refer to it, I'm sure.

This is an excellent book filled with great information in what I like to call a "pick up and read a little" format. It is logically arranged and well indexed but it lends itself well to random reading. Think of it as part Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, part chemistry primer, and part dictionary of eatables.

Since buying this book, I leave it within easy reach on the top of the bookshelf and typically pick it up and choose something at random and learn something new.

Very readable, well illustrated and a great value: you will not regret purchasing this book.