Clubs Books

This book is great for boys and girls alike, but especially poignant for young boys who still want their sleepy pals but also want to be thought of as grown-up! If you can get them to read it with the attitude of the characters, you'll smile the entire time you're reading. Dont' let this one get by you!

These books are perfect. His ear for spoken language is dead-on. It's a joy to read aloud.

This is one of the sweetest bedtime stories, getting kids ready for sleeping over with a reassuring message. Best of all, it features two little boys. There's not a lot of gentle message kids books out there that feature little boys.

This is timeless kiddie lit story: Ira is invited to his first sleep over. Ira's older sister, however, casts doubt in Ira's mind. Will Reggie laugh because Ira sleeps with a teddy bear? Should he go with or without his beloved teddy? His parents are supportive and Ira makes his decision, only to change his mind once again.

Jim Trealease, of Read-Aloud fame, read this story, with appropriate voices to a group of teachers. I was so enchanted with it that later, when I taught high school, I asked permission of my seniors to tell them Ira Sleeps Over. They loved it!

Not having read the book nor able to check it out from a library, I relied totally on reviewers 5 star comments when deciding to purchase this book. Just about 1/3 the way into the book my parental radar piqued at the conversation between Reggie and Ira concerning ghost stories, "scary, creepy, spooky ghost stories." To my sorrow, no mention or even allusion of this was in any of the reviews.

My youngest 3 children (two 5 year olds and a 7 year old) are from a culture that emphasizes ghosts, the boogie man, evil spirits, etc. in a demonic fashion. Prior to becoming part of our family, ghosts were used as a form of disciplne to terrorize them to comply and obey. Even after having them in our family for a year they still struggle with the memories of these demons. Since the ghost story is the climax in Ira Sleeps Over, I do not recommend this book.

In this book, Stevie discovers that the beautiful frisky mare that her parents have bought for her might possibly have been stolen from its previous owner. She goes through a genuinely painful time, as the mystery is resolved. This is one Saddle Club book where the happy ending feels completely earned.

I have read many, many SC books and this one is my favorite! Unlike in many of the others, Gift Horse's ending is not very predictable and Stevie actually faces a serious problem with not only another individual but with herself. Too often SC characters are happy-go-lucky, perfect girls without any problems, but in this book Stevie goes through a genuinely painful and realistic time. If you're gonna read a SC book, read this one. Will Stevie have to give up her beloved first horse to No-Name's rightful owner? Read the book to find out!

I thought this book, Gift Horse was a great book and one of the best Saddle Club books yet! I am a huge fan of all the Saddle Club books, even if this is only the fourth one I have read. My friends reccomended it to me a long time ago, and I just got around to reading it. It really is a wonderful book and I reccomend it to anyone who loves horses and adventure! In this book, Stevie trys to compete with No-Name one last time before the snooty, Chelsea Webber takes her away from her. What must Stevie do to ride her beloved mare one last time? You will have to read the book to find out! It is really good! Keep up the good work Bonnie Bryant!

I've read most of the SC series,but this one rocks all the way!My favorite,to say the least.I've read it three times and cry every time!Do yourself a favor: point your little arrow and click "Buy"! I love this book;you will too!

I LOVE this book! I don't know why it's just really great! It's one of those books that you can read over and over again and still not get sick of it! Stevie Lake is having an amazing time on her new horse, No-Name, but then a girl claims that No-Name is HER horse. Will Stevie have to give up her beloved horse? Find out!

This is one of those books with a literal title and a book that I cannot refrain from recommending strongly. If you have any interest in auto racing (and, really, who shouldn't?) this is the book you want to read first, no matter what kind of race cars you daydream of. With a direct language, a captivating prose and a hearty, contagious enthusiasm, Dave Gran details all the steps basically anyone can take to be able to start a racing adventure and to begin to enjoy the thrills of speed and automotive competition on a budget most people will be able to afford. Although it may appear to be impossibility to most (it certainly did seem impossible to me until very recently), Dave's point is in fact correct: yes you can - get into your own race car! The book is chockfull of useful, current and detailed practical advice which I have found to be accurate. I only wish I had read it a few years back.

THIS BOOK IS WORTH IT'S WEIGHT IN GOLD. IF YOU HAVE EVERY CONSIDERED RACING, THEN BUY THIS BOOK. IT WILL SAVE YOU ALOT OF TIME AND MONEY.

this book is incredible. For anybody remotely interested in car racing of any type they should read this book. It is the best source of information for getting started in racing with any budget even if if's a five hundred car. Must read !!!

THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTLEY FANTASTIC!!

I have a good friend that's been racing SCCA for the past 8-9 years and for the past couple years he's been on my case to give SCCA racing a shot. I've ALWAYS been a car guy and have always been big in to drag racing and American muscle cars. Well, this past August I finally gave in and took part in a PDX at Mid-Ohio in my daily driver SRT4. MAN-O-MAN what a blast!!!

SOON thereafter I started seriously thinking about picking up a full-fledged SCCA race car, but I initially resisted. That's around the time I purchased/read Dave's book and that was the "clincher", I was HOOKED!! Soon therefter I was on the lookout for a SSB/SSC/ITA/ITC race car and within a month bought an SSC Focus. I'm looking forward to driver's school this April. THANKS DAVE for a great book!!!!!!

If you are like me and have an interest in going racing someday, this book really shows you what you have to do to get into the sport on a decent budget. I read the book in a day (which is a HUGE feat for me - I never liked books very much). It is very informative and sometimes humorous. It's laid back, but provides the advice and teachings that would prove very helpful when the time comes. Gran, the author, even goes into explaining how to prep a car... Anyway, I really liked this book. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested in Autocross, SCCA Club racing, or just interested in racing.

Today is the day after Thanksgiving and I read Mama's Club for 5 1/2 hours before finally going to sleep around one am. I was totally engrossed, fascinated and scared, but the book held me in its grip until I had read the last word.

According to Jehovah, 1914 was the end of time. Am I then just a spirit? If only 144,000 can go to heaven, where will I be going, to purgatory, or to hell?

Richard Kelly's book should be read by all, not only for its subject matter, but for its fascinating entrée into what its like to be a member of Mama's Club.

Now I am not just a bridge opponent, but also a fan. KEEP WRITING!


Chi Newman

Someone knocks at your door. You open it and there stands a mother and her little boy. She offers you a pamphlet. You know immediately who they are. They're Jehovah's Witnesses and you have been warned against listening to their message, and warned against accepting any literature from them. As a consequence, you know very little about them.

As the mother and son depart, the boy chances a shy smile your way, and you wonder, what is life really like for him? And what is this religion all about?

Richard Kelly was this little boy. When he was four, his mother opened the door to a Witness and it would forever change his life.

Richard skillfully mixes heart-rendering stories and humorous accounts as he details what life was like in his home and in his church (Hall) as his family follows the rigorous dictates of the religion. He tells of a mother obsessed with the religion and determined that her son follow a path that would someday make him a Jehovah's Witness leader.

Ironically, a few days after I read Richard's extremely educational memoir, I received a knock on my door. There stood a lady with her 10-year old granddaughter. She gave me a pamphlet proclaiming The Truth. And thanks to Richard's memoir, for the first time in my life I understood who was knocking at my door.

Esther Royer Ayers, author of Rolling Down Black Stockings

Religion is not something passed on by genetics - it's not unheard of to be at odds with the religion of your ancestors. "Growing Up in Mama's Club: A Childhood Perspective of Jehovah's Witnesses" is Richard E. Kelly's look at growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, a practice that he quickly began to put himself at odds with as his own intellectual status grew - his own objections to their practices. A thought provoking look at family when religion splits them, "Growing Up in Mama's Club: A Childhood Perspective of Jehovah's Witnesses" is highly recommended to both religion and memoir collections.

Richard E.Kelly's novel was an eye opener. After teaching grade school for many years, I now realize how JW children's belief system works. His book has answered many questions that I wondered about over my teaching career. This is a pertinent novel for everyone to read but would really help school staffs. Not only is this true story an educational journey, but it presents real spirit needed to rise above dire circumstances. My book club has chosen Richard's novel to read next year. His study questions will be a great help in discussing this inspiring piece of literature.
Joyce Hodges- preschool and kindergarten teacher for 36 years.

This well-written story of one man's experience growing up as a Jehovah's Witness reads like a novel while informing like a scholarly paper. The work by this former Bethelite has unusually good descriptions of those involved, which bring the story to life and help the reader become involved in the plot.

The most valuable feature of the book is it effectively conveys what it is like to grow up and be an active Jehovah's Witness. Both the good and bad are related with candor--and much of each exists, as Kelly documents. One point made clear is that many good people exist in the Watchtower movement.

An especially revealing section describes how Kelly's father, once an active opposer, became a Witness, effectively showing why and how someone would become involved in an organization that many people consider a deviant cult. It also shows the problem of using untrained persons, such as Kelly's father, as mental health diagnosticians and therapists, a role forced on them as elders. A point that came through in almost every chapter was the Watchtower teaching that the end of this world and the promise of the new was upon us, and we should live like Armageddon will be here tomorrow or sooner. This is the history of every Witness who lived in the 1950s and 1960s.

This story is told with insightful understanding, even compassion, not bitterness as is common among people who were reared as Witnesses. As an ex-Witness, I could relate to Mama's Club as Kelly's experience parallels mine. I too endured the conflicts and tragic effects at school and home over the restrictive treatment of holidays, conflicts that are unnecessary and reminiscent of the prohibitions in the Torah, such as prohibiting cutting fingernails on the Sabbath unless the torn nail is bleeding.

A recent Pew survey of 35,000 Americans found Jehovah's Witnesses "had the lowest retention rate of any religious tradition" in America, lower then Catholics, Jews, and all other religions. Kelly's excellent book helps readers understand why this religion loses so many members, and, on the other hand, what attracts people to it and why they stay in spite of the problems in the organization.

Jerry Bergman, Ph.D., MSBS, L.P.C.C.

I'm glad we saved this one for last. It is so wonderful to see Henry grow more thoughtful and responsible in this series. He still has some madcap adventures and funny scrapes, but he is becoming such a nice gentlemanly kid. And that little Ramona is right on. What a wonderful series of books.

I remember reading all of the Beverly Cleary books as a child, and now I've bought these to read to my children. All of Cleary's books are literary gems, easy to read, and keep kids entertained with plots that they can relate to.

I clearly recall the 1950's style illustrations by Louis Darling in the books I used to read, which have since been replaced in these modern editions. At first I was dubious about the change because the Darling illustrations were so charming, but upon seeing these new illustrations and relating them to the content (which has NOT changed), it's clear that the new illustrator made a real effort to stay close to the original drawings. Additionally, Cleary's words in relation to the new, 'modern' illustrations, suprisingly still apply very well (aside from the 1950's prices and brand names). Regardless, it's easy to envision Henry, Beezus, and Ramona as children living in 2008 or 1950. What does that tell me about Beverly Cleary's books? They're absolutely timeless, and I hope that future generations continue to read and enjoy them as I have.

This is the second-to-last book in the "Henry Huggins" series (if you count "Ribsy," the solo story of his dog, and set aside the Ramona and Beezus books...)

In this volume, once again Henry shows his determination and pluck as he sets a goal and works hard, very hard, to attain it. Actually, he pursues two goals: to save enough money from his new paper route so that he can buy a sleeping bag, and to build a clubhouse with his friends Robert and Murph. Henry learns to balance work and play, and wins the respect of the adults in his world. He also has to contend with the ever-annoying Ramona, as well as her sister Beezus (whose feelings he hurts when he agrees to make the clubhouse a "no girls allowed" zone).

Once again, Beverly Cleary gives a glimpse into the world of children that is both entertaining and emotionally honest. The innocent, white-picket fence world of the Kennedy-era early '60s may be a far cry from what life is like now, but these stories are still fun to read and pleasantly free of a lot of the violence and other baggage that define more modern kid's fiction. Wholesome and all-American, also funny and human, these are timeless stories that can help open the world of literature to inquiring young minds. (ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

Looking for books that will challenge an 8 year old boy that is a good reader but doesn't like fiction. The Henry Huggins series is just the ticket. Although the stories are somewhat dated, nevertheless they are well written. The stories have humor in them and they contain object lessons for their readers. I can say that a boy for sure will find them interesting.

Another fine Henry Huggins book...and sadly we only have two left about Henry before we have exhausted this series. We simply love these books, my daughter is anxiously waiting until we get to the library tomorrow to pick up Henry and the Paper Route and we'll top off the series with Ribsy. Like other Henry Huggins books, this one is divided into chapters (7 to be exact) and each chapter is practically a short story in and of itself...the chapters build up to an overall theme/goal for Henry. In this particular book, it's building a clubhouse and buying a sleeping bag so he and his friends can sleep in the clubhouse.

The chapters start out with Henry forgetting about his paper route and winding up riding through town in a bathtub, then Henry and Ribsy making the acquaintance of the new neighborhood dog, we follow them on Halloween night, on a day of collection for his newspaper route, through his building of the clubhouse (with a strict No Girls policy) and his run in with Beezus and Ramona as a result (hilarious), Henry's clever "solution" to Ramona's pestering, and how he wound up with a little shadow! Overall the stories are clever and humorous in a way that I think kids genuinely appreciate and relate to!

Where does he find materials for his clubhouse? How does it turn out? What's up with that huge stuffed owl? What's it like to ride through town in a bathtub? How hard is a paper route? Will Henry ever get that sleeping bag? If you want to know you simply must read Henry and the Clubhouse, you won't be disappointed! These stories were written in the 1950's and 60's, so money matters are a bit off, but the rest is charming and the overall themes, humor, and childhood joys, frustrations and embarrassments have held up so wonderfully over the years...these books are great for girls and boys! I give this one an A+, another fine Henry Huggins adventure!

Carole,Stevie,and Lisa go to the track, and to see some of Mr.Mcleod's horses race.the trainer,Garvey ,is involved in a bribery with another jockey,so Mr.leod's horse will win....

I like most of the Saddle Club books, but I found this one D-U-L-L and B-O-R-I-N-G. Ms.Bryant did really well with #69 Endurence Ride and excitement picks right up in #71 Horse Talk but I don't know what happened with this book! After reading the other horse racing books,#43 Photo Finish and #21 Racehorse, I thought this would be great, but I was wrong. I mean three boys named Josh and they ALL like Carole! Yeah right! The part with the trainer,Garvey, and the Jockey was NOT that great. The whole book was unrelistic! Carole should have told a grownup after Garvey threatened her! The Saddle Club should give up Mysteries and leave the detecting to Nancy Drew.

The three Saddle Club girls, Lisa Atwood, Stevie Lake, and Carole Hanson find out about a bribery at the race track about how a jockey will make sure his own horse won't win and that another will so that he gets money...before they know it, the Saddle Club isn't at the track for horse races anymore. They're in on another race...for their own lives!

Carole,Stevie,and Lisa go to the track, and to see some of Mr.Mcleod's horses race.the trainer,Garvey ,is involved in a bribery with another jockey,so Mr.leod's horse will win....

Well written book! It gives information about racing and what goes on at the racetrack. At the climax, it leaves the reader on the end of there chair wondering "What's happening next! " Stevie, Lisa, and Carole go on a lot of adventures together and victory or failure, they pretty much always have horses on there mind. Bonnie Bryant writes great horse books and if you like the Saddle Club series, you'll love the Pine Hollow series! I recomend this book to anyone who loves horses and racing.

My five-year-old son can't get enough of this story. He loves Max & Ruby, and this story is one of his favorites.

My children LOVE Max and Ruby, and this one is a favorite. Max really wants that Dragon shirt, and he ends up getting one, in his regular, mischevious way...this one will end up a favorite of your children as well...a great price too!

My husband, son, and I enjoy Max and Ruby stories. When we read the first page of this story, when Ruby comments that Max's pants are "disgusting", all of us laughed. We were hooked.

Rosemary Wells has done a great job with giving her characters such distinct voices without using a lot of text or explanation. This is a short, light-hearted read as are Wells' other Max and Ruby stories.

I love reading Max's dragon shirt to my son, Maxwell. We loved that all these books have his name in them! They are cute and fun, and I enjoy reading them too!

This is another cute story by Rosemary Wells. As expected my daughter who's a huge Max and Ruby fan likes it, but I was surprised when it became he favorite book and is read every night.

[Backcover Review]: "PEOPLE OF LEGEND by acclaimed photojournalist and author John Annerino is a stunning and evocative portrait of Native America and the mystical landscapes they call home. "This largely photographic essay...offers a rare glimpse of coming of age ceremonies and feasts, and vivid re-enactments of ancient dances."-San Francisco Chronicle. "Contemporary Native American culture is revealed by a photojournalist who spent over 20 years exploring the Southwest...a stunning visual display of modern tribes and people: a blend of cultural history and art book."-Reviewers Bookwatch. "Annerino's work is outstanding." -Arizona Daily Star. "PEOPLE OF LEGEND tells a history, in words and pictures, that we all need to know." -American Photo Magazine. "Extraordinary."-Sandia Review." [Backcover Bio]: "Praised by Newsweek as one of the finest photographers of the West, John Annerino has worked in the frontier of Old Mexico and the American West for two decades. The Washington Post has lauded his "reverant and ravishing photographs," The Denver Post described his work as "fabulous," Publishers Weekly calls it "stunning." Represented by Gamma-Liaison, Annerino's credits include Time, Life, Newsweek, and Scientific American, among many prestigious publications worldwide. The author of nine books, Annerino's works include the critically acclaimed 1999 border saga DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS and his new photo/art book on American cowboys and cowgirls, ROUGHSTOCK: THE TOUGHEST EVENTS IN RODEO."

[Backcover Review]: "PEOPLE OF LEGEND by acclaimed photojournalist and author John Annerino is a stunning and evocative portrait of Native America and the mystical landscapes they call home. "This largely photographic essay...offers a rare glimpse of coming of age ceremonies and feasts, and vivid re-enactments of ancient dances."-San Francisco Chronicle. "Contemporary Native American culture is revealed by a photojournalist who spent over 20 years exploring the Southwest...a stunning visual display of modern tribes and people: a blend of cultural history and art book."-Reviewers Bookwatch. "Annerino's work is outstanding." -Arizona Daily Star. "PEOPLE OF LEGEND tells a history, in words and pictures, that we all need to know." -American Photo Magazine. "Extraordinary."-Sandia Review." [Backcover Bio]: "Praised by Newsweek as one of the finest photographers of the West, John Annerino has worked in the frontier of Old Mexico and the American West for two decades. The Washington Post has lauded his "reverant and ravishing photographs," The Denver Post described his work as "fabulous," Publishers Weekly calls it "stunning." Represented by Gamma-Liaison, Annerino's credits include Time, Life, Newsweek, and Scientific American, among many prestigious publications worldwide. The author of nine books, Annerino's works include the critically acclaimed 1999 border saga DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS and his new photo/art book on American cowboys and cowgirls, ROUGHSTOCK: THE TOUGHEST EVENTS IN RODEO."

Acclaimed author and photojournalist John Annerino is known for his high-risk journeys through the frontiers of Mexico and the American Southwest, seeking stories untold and photos unseen. For the past two decades, with his pen and his camera, he has told the stories of indigenous people -- their struggles and triumphs, their political strife and quiet dignity. His chronicles about the Tarahumara [WHERE SPIRITS STILL DANCE, in press] and Inde [APACHE: The Sacred Path to Womanhood, Marlowe & Co.], and his journeys across the desert with Mexican citizens looking for work in the United States [DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS: Crossing America's Desert Borderlands, Four Walls Eight Windows], can be found in several books as well as in frequent articles. Annerino share[s] his journeys and experiences, reflecting on how indigenous cultures have retained their traditions while dealing with outside influences. -Heard Museum

PEOPLE OF LEGEND. Annerino's book examines Indians' ties to land...A dozen figures raise crooked sticks toward the twilight sky. In the shot, Annerino manages to bring an almost monumental quality to the circle of students at San Simon High School, on the western edge of the Tohono O'odham reservation, as they play the ancient stickball game. At first glance, it appears to be some ancient ceremony. In a way it is. "I wanted to show the spirituality of the game of toka for the Tohono O'odham," Annerino said. -Daily Star

I am a Norwegian journalist/photographer and I have just by chance discovered the impressive book PEOPLE OF LEGEND. Superb photographs -- all of them rich of dreams and poesi. I myself have always dreamed of visiting Arizona and especially the sacred mountains of my childhood heroes, the Western Apache -- and today centuries later -- I share a universal sadness for what happened to the indigenous people. For me their care and understanding of the nature/environment has been an important inspiration in my participation to preserve rivers and mountains in my homeland Norway. At this moment we are trying to save the last river system in south of Norway -- producing super 35 movie -- a documentary -- and hopefully a photoexebition next summer. There are a lot of people around who care for mother earth and this book is a valuable contribution.

This book is not my usual fare. I never like modern chick lit. I usually skip over books like this when in the bookstore. I am so glad that I was chosen to receive this book because I would be missing such a gem of a book because of my own prejudice. The Professors Wives' Club is one of the most engaging and entertaining books I have ever read.

Mary, Ashleigh, Sofia and Hannah are some of the most interesting characters I have ever encountered. The minute I began reading, I was completely invested in their lives and relationships. I felt I could identify with something in each and every one of them even though I have very little in common with any of them. These women could have easily developed into realm of the "annoying female character" (overly perfect, super-woman complex or weak-willed, dependent, water-works) without a writer as skilled at weaving a plot as Rendell. Her writing is crisp. She captures each woman's voice perfectly and weaves their stories together seamlessly.

The fact that the book centers around the world of academia was also a strong draw for me. The internal politics and conflicts of University life are especially interesting to me because I went to a university in New York where internal protests and strikes were a familiar and almost everyday occurrence. I do have a theory about the real life story that influenced the events in the book. In the book the dean of Manhattan U. decides to demolish and pave over a garden the women love. He also tore down a house the Poe lived in. Could these events have been influence by New York University's takeover of the historic CBGB club? Just my theory. Probably wrong.

Once I started the book, I could not put it down. This is not your typical chick lit book to use for easy reading on vacation. This book will distract you and get you so embroiled in the story, you will spend your vacation inside reading the book. I absolutely love this book. I will be anxiously awaiting Rendell's next book which comes out in 2009.

I loved the women in this book. They're the kind of girls you want to spend a few hours and a few bottles of chianti with. It's a fun, entertaining read with some real literary chops to boot. I loved the Poe mystery and how the author wove it so seamlessly into the plot. The setting was magical, it made me long for my NYU days!

One of the things that turns acquaintances into close friends is the sharing of a common bond between them. The Professors' Wives' Club revolves around four women, so different from one another that they might even appear unlikely as friends. But they share the unique connection of living in faculty housing (three of them faculty wives) at the fictional Manhattan U, a thinly disguised version of New York University.

In this breakout first novel, Joanne Rendell creates powerful characters struggling to define their roles as women and an engaging plot that keeps you glued until the end. The alternating chapters introduce the reader to Mary, Ashleigh, Sofia and Hannah whose individual stories touch upon a wide range of women's issues, such as infidelity, domestic abuse, intergenerational friendship, homosexuality, and work-life balance.

The commonality that brings these four women together is that the beautiful little garden adjacent to their University Housing, which has become their sanctuary and meeting place, The space is threatened with demolition (slated to become a parking lot) by a greedy, self-promoting Dean, a husband to one of the women.

In devising a plan to save the garden (in keeping with NYU's reputation as a hotbed of protests), they accomplish far more than they ever hoped: They develop a sisterhood that enables each woman to bravely pursue her dreams and live her life more fully. They evolve into far more than appendages to their accomplished husbands.

In the genre of The Wednesday Sisters and The Friday Night Knitting Club, the book portrays a circle of friendship that women crave and need, no matter what their role or station in life.

I really enjoyed this book - the characters are intriguing and I really felt like they were real, fully-dimensional people. However, this book is rooted in fact when it comes to the destructive tendencies of Manhattan University (a thinly-disguised New York University). NYU really DID tear down Edgar Allan Poe's last Manhattan home, and their expansionist plans continue to wreck havoc in Greenwich Village. Considering that Ms. Rendell's husband is a member of the NYU faculty, writing this book was a very gutsy thing to do, and I want to extend a personal thank you to her, because I was one of the locals fighting to save the Poe House back in 2001.

"The Professors' Wives' Club" tells the story of four strong yet very different women, in alternating chapters and perspectives. These women start off as strangers but their common appreciation for their faculty housing's garden unites them in a mission to save it from the hands of the `evil' Dean Jack Havemeyer. At the start of the book we learn that the dean's wife Mary is an outspoken author and professor who transforms into a shrinking violet in the presence of her husband. Sofia, once a successful Hollywood agent, is dealing with the consequences of leaving her career to raise her children fulltime. Hannah has left her modeling career to pursue her artwork but much to her frustration, her husband refuses to take her new passion seriously. Ashleigh is working hard in her family's law firm while trying to keep her true identity a secret from them.

What I loved most about the book was that Joanne Rendell created characters who, despite some mistakes made along the way, still remained great role models until the very end. These women devote their lives to their families and careers and yet always strive to remain true to themselves and what they believe in. Women's fiction too often features women who obsess too much over their materialistic woes and triumphs and so this story was quite refreshing. There are a number of complex issues that the women must face throughout the novel, such as spousal abuse and infidelity, which test the women's strength and will power. As individuals, their stories are equally enjoyable to read about, however I would have loved for the women's friendships and connections to have been examined further. The amount of intimate interaction among the women is relatively minimal, although this does give readers the opportunity to peer into their respective lives more thoroughly.

This was my first time reading a novel that explored the inner workings of university life and the lives of the professors' wives. The unique subject matter made this book an interesting read, right off the bat. Though this book revolves around a fictitious Manhattan University, I enjoyed seeing the politics of academia play out and much of the action was easy to envision. This is probably largely due to the fact that Joanne Rendell is the recipient of a PhD and a professor's wife herself, making her story as credible as it is entertaining!

Look out for Joanne Rendell's next book "Crossing Washington Square", to be released in summer 2009, which explores the inner world of Manhattan University and academia in greater detail!

[...]

Gods be feathered, how I love this book. The four-book Chanur series is one of the greatest SF epics of all time. (The fifth, Chanur's Legacy, is a fun afterthought but not as deep as the original chunk.) This first volume is a satisfying stand-alone read, but trust me, you'll want to read the rest. I always warn people not to start this series unless you have a large chunk of time set aside--even though I've reread it countless times, once I get started I still find its momentum impossible to put down.

Pride of Chanur starts with an unforgettable image--a mostly naked fugitive human writing numbers on a spaceship deck in his own blood to prove his sentience to the startled alien who has just slashed him with her claws in self-defense. From there it rolls along into an intelligent, funny, and utterly satisfying adventure. Cherryh achieves an amazing feat in telling the story entirely through alien eyes, yet still giving us completely satisfying, believable, and likable protagonists. She vividly depicts four entirely distinct and fully realized oxy-breathing species, each complete with distinct patterns of thought, traditions, and psychology, plus several other more mysterious methane-breathing species, in all their complex and troublesome interactions, plus humans (well, mostly just one) thrown precipitously into the mix. The human is the alien in this story, and we hear his perspective only through the often garbled and always incomplete computer translator, an approach which is unusually realistic (unlike so much SF where translation always works perfectly, instantly) and always leaves you curious to know more. The reversal of perspective is so convincing and complete that you'll find yourself looking at your own species' psychology as the strange one.

Plus there's the fascinating reverse-sexism of the hani, the main alien culture, which essentially follows the structure of a sentient lion pride: men are considered too volatile and unstable for everyday business, thus are kept secluded except during dynastic battles; the sensible, pragmatic females take care of commerce, law, alliances, and space-faring. (In the sequels, these beliefs get confronted and deconstructed in interesting ways.) The quintessentially feline temperament and mannerisms of the hani--vain, swaggering, hot-tempered, affectionate, physical, fierce, loyal--are convincing and irresistible, especially if you're a cat person anyway! And be warned, the pidgin and idiom the characters use for inter-species communication will completely infect your brain.

Dive right into this satisfying yarn, and know that in the next three books a far, far wilder, bigger, and more complex story will unfold...nail-biting action intertwined flawlessly with deep psychological and cultural insight, tangled intrigue, agonizing moral dilemmas, and extraordinary character transformations. Enjoy the ride!

Not many writers can do aliens as well as Cherryh -- bilateral, oxygen-breathing, most of them, but with minds and emotions and evolved biologies that are very, very different indeed from human. Pyanfar Chanur is the successful, wealthy captain of a Hani trading ship, a powerful figure in the powerful Chanur family, leading a crew composed all of family members, like all Hani ships. And then she's suddenly saddled with Tully, a refugee human escaped from the Kif, an opportunistically piratical race that evolved by blood feud. Humans are newly arrived on the edge of the space occupied by the member races of the Compact and trading rights with them will be worth a lot, but Pyanfar will have to risk everything. And the profoundly untrustworthy Kif aren't going to make things easier. Cherryh does a terrific job of gradually introducing the reader to the intricacies of the vaguely lion-like Hani society, in which females do the work and tend to the psychologically unstable, world-bound males, who are lords of the estates -- until they're challenged by younger males and finally lose. You'll come to know Pyanfar and her crew as individuals, too. The plot gallops, the characterizations are intriguing, and the dialogue is snappy. Yet the book is much denser than it appears. What more could you want -- except the three following volumes in this saga?

After reading and enjoying Ms. Cherryh's "Cyteen" I started searching for more of her novels and decided to begin reading Chanur's Saga. "The Pride of Chanur" is its first volume.

Ms. Cherryh creates, once more, an astounding backdrop Cosmos full of intricacies, depicting the other end of the universe shown in "Cyteen".
Here she elaborates The Compact's Media where many alien races compete, trade and fight. There are oxygen breathers and methane breathers; big cat-like people and gray somber entities; aggressive races and peaceful ones; some species are deceitful and others are straight forward.
Just to make things more complex a Human show up demanding asylum from the Hani (Chanur's kind) and giving way to a feud between Hani & Kif (the bad guys of the story).

One astounding feature of the book is that the main character is Captain Pyanfar Chanur and her ethnocentric point of view is THE point of perception. All other races (including human) are strange and requires all her imagination to figure up what kind of entities they are. Are they friendly? Stable? Trustworthy? All these and many more questions she has to answer in order to survive.

The other bewildering aspect is that Hani kind is conducted by their females. Ladies are in charge of commerce, space travel, politics and any other significant activity (even war). Males are the Lords, pampered by females, sporting and hunting. Only one by Clan, he may be defied by other males (his own exiled sons are suitable) to singular combat and the winner takes all.

The novel has the typical Space Opera structure, enriched by new elements as character's depth and culture's coherence.
It is a very good sci-fi novel that will be enjoyed by fans & general public!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Yeah, this book was pretty cool. It's not quite as dense or sprawling as I've come to expect Cherryh books to be (not that that's a bad thing!), but that doesn't detract from it one bit. And this book moves, moves, moves. It's probably one of the most engrossing books I've ever read.

This is another one of Cherryh's first-contact type novels, and I think it's the thing she does best, really. It involves a lone human somehow lost in alien space who manages to sneak abord a Hani merchant ship, and how his presence upsets the delicate balance of power there. It's serious without being too oppressive, and it is without question the best of the series. I've read the other three, and really you can take those or leave them--the book is complete enough in itself. (With the others, I kind of feel myself playing the Star Trek 5/Aliens 3 game--if I didn't like it, it didn't happen. Trek 5? Nope. Went from 4 straight to 6....)

I highly reccommend this book. It's typical Cherryh, in that you'll have to wait for your gratification until the very very end--but then, it's always worth it.

I'm currently re-reading this in it's incarnation as the first part of "The Chanur Saga" "Omnibus edition." I wanted to put a separate review here since I intend to rate that "omnibus" low simply because it's not complete. "The Pride of Chanur" is an excellent book. Written in the standard Cherryh "from the gut" manner, it grabs on to your emotions and yanks them hither and yon from the first couple of pages all the way to the end. It's one of those books where you try to read faster and faster so that you can find out what's going to happen (even after having read it several times before). The best part of the book is the fact that it's stand-alone: it finishes what it starts. The remainder of the series requires this book. But, this book doesn't require the remainder of the series (though you'll definitely want to read that). Excellent book.