Clubs Books

The Cloister and the Hearth is one of the most powerful reading experiences I have had. It is a great pity, but no surprise, that this masterpiece is not familiar even to lovers of Victorian literature, and has not had a fashion in recent times like the works of, say, Austen or Trollope. I say no surprise because Cloister is challenging in ways that those authors are not. First, it is long, 750 pages, far longer than anything by the Great Jane, and most of Trollope. Second, the dialogue is written in a deliberately archaic style intended to evoke the Middle Ages, an ersatz 15th century English in the mouths of characters who are Dutch, German, French, Italian, but none English. To my ear, it was tremendously effective, but it will not come easily to modern readers who find Shakespeare and the King James Bible difficult. Third, it takes the values of the era it describes seriously, rather than looking back from an arch, "modern" 19th century perspective. That third point is the most important. As the title suggests, the theme of the work is the tension between domestic private life and the spiritual domain of the Church. Most of the dramatic conflict arises from the demands of priestly celibacy, which Reade reveals as a "vile heresy" only three pages from the end. Such is his skill that, despite their lives having been devastated by it, neither of the two lover/ protagonists ever questions the rule's propriety or justice, and both honor it absolutely. (Perhaps the female utters a doubt or two somewhere, but if so, they are feebly stated and soon forgotten.) The two main characters are not subtle, but are medieval virtue personified. Yet they work, especially Gerard, the male. Unlike Dickens's goody-two shoes heroes (think David Copperfield or Esther Summerson), the extraordinary virtues of Gerard and Margaret never made this reader roll his eyes. Reade considered himself a dramatist, not a novelist, and the reconciliation scenes in this book are as emotionally driven as anything you will see on the stage. It is shorter than War and Peace, and once you get the hang of it, the pages turn much faster than Tolstoy's. I've only read an abridged W&P, years ago, but I'd put Cloister up there on the same level, as historical literature, not just historical fiction, of the very highest order.

It's hard to believe this book is largely forgotten and unavailable. Despite what some of the other reviewers claim, you do not need to be a Medievalist to enjoy it--or even be thrilled by it, as I was. Get a used copy while you still can.

I don't think it fair for the editorial review to give away the ending.

My first year at university it was a required reading. Back then reading wasn't my favourite hobby; However when I started to the novel, I just couldn't put it down. It was very exciting and a pleasure to read. Highly recommended. I lost my book and I'm hoping that Amazon.com will locate a copy for me,please!

... This is a great book. I would rank it among my top 20 favourite novels, perhaps even the top 10, along with works by Tolstoy, Dickens, Austen and others of that calibre... I urge you to read this book if you have not yet done so. It succeeds on several levels: It is an adventure yarn, with daring escapes, chases, intrigues and battles. It is a philosophical novel, raising thought-provoking questions about priestly celibacy and religious observance. It is a war novel, presenting a convincing portrayal of men in combat. It is a psychological novel, probing the nature of male companionship. Well written, absorbing and satisfying, read it before it disappears from booklists completely.

WOW! Now this is the book to read! With all the facts & fun you get to know the BSC real good. I just say : READ IT! =)

This book tells you all that you need to now about the babysitters club. It brings back good memorys about ther other books and gives info from ther other books you didn't read. I recomend this book to all of the readers of the babysitters club SO READ IT!!!!!!

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Baby-Sitters Club is in this book. It is very detailed.For example:One of the facts is that Kristy's little sister's worst enemy in her class, Bobby Gianalli, his father's occupation is working for an insurance company.

This is the book for you! It has everything you need to know about the BSC and all of Stoneybrook. Find all there clients, friends out of the club, and Beyond Stoneybrook. Read it!

The COMPLETE guide to the Baby-Sitters Club. It's an excellent book, it tells you all the baby-sitters clients, about their family, friends out of the club. There's a lot more to it. But I won't llist all of them, if you want to know, than read the book and find out! GET IT OR GET OUT!!!!!!

This is one of my favorites of the entire S&A series. It is one of the most sailing intensive books providing great details about sailing through tidal river regions. The Norfolk Broads region described is sort of a sailing paradise. Like all of these books, the adventure is very lightweight, and only really suitable for a child with some degree of patience. Part of the appeal is how realistic the books are. I think children enjoy reading stories in which child characters are doing so many fun things on their own with very minimal adult intervention. In my experience these books appeal most to children in the 9-11 age bracket. The book's theme of nature preservation and activism is one that also is fairly relevant even today.

If you have read any of the Swallows and Amazons books and liked them you will love this one too. In my opinion they are all good, but this is definitely one of his best!

In this book Ransome focuses on the two most recently introduced members of his juvenile cast, Dick and Dorothea Callum, who are sent to spend part of their Easter holidays with Mrs. Barrable, their mother's old schoolmistress, along the rivers of the Norfolk wetlands. Eager to learn to sail so they can take part in the adventures planned for the lake next summer, their spirits plummet when they learn that Mrs. Barrable "can't sail her boat by herself" and plans to use it only as a houseboat. Unexpected salvation occurs in the form of Tom Dudgeon, son of a local doctor, who finds himself a fugitive after setting a motor-cruiser adrift to protect a coot's nest being observed by himself and his five friends (Port and Starboard, the twin girls who live near the Dudgeons, and the Death and Glories, Joe, Pete, and Bill). Seeking shelter from the outraged motorboaters aboard Mrs. Barrable's rented craft, he meets the trio and finds instant common ground, and quickly agrees to serve as Captain and teach the Callums "the ropes." Though there's less imaginative play in this book than in the rest of the series, it still features Ransome's splendid insight into juvenile minds and character, plus loving description of the countryside and a strong consciousness of the environment that must have been unusual in the 1930's. Though this volume will never be my favorite of the series--somehow things are never so lively without Captain Nancy Blackett on board!--it succeeds on its own terms and will be a pleasant change of pace for families reading aloud in sequence.

This is the fifth of Arthur Ransome's "Swallows and Amazons" tales, although, in fact, it features not a single member of either the Swallows or the Amazons. Nor, indeed, is it set anywhere near the English Lake District. Instead, it describes the Norfolk Broads boating adventures of the two D's (first introduced to the reader in the previous book, "Winter Holiday").

The tale is set in the children's Easter holidays, just a few months after the events of the preceding book. In it, Dick and Dorothea are anxious to learn the rudiments of sailing so that they can take a more active part in the fun when they next meet up with the Swallows and Amazons. Dick is also keen to do some bird watching. It is almost inevitable, therefore, that soon after arriving in Norfolk, they find therefore themselves tangled in up in (and helping out with) the troubles of the Coot Club - a group of local (boat-mad) children dedicated to the protection of the Broads' unique bird population.

Ransome loved the Norfolk Broads with a passion that possibly even exceeded his love of the Lake District. In this book, he paints a portrait of Norfolk, its waterways and the people who live on or by them, making plain his love for this unique environment and its way of life. The story centres on his concerns over their continuing destruction through ever-increasing tourism (and the increasingly thoughtless actions of its visitors), a major problem even 65 years ago. (It is far worse now, of course!) Unlike his Lake District stories, this one uses the real names of the places that feature in it and revels in describing them. Indeed, the book reads almost like a guidebook at times, although you barely notice this, for it is never anything less that engaging in its content. As always, Ransome combines both narrative and instructive content with consummate ease, tempered here with an excitement to the events that unfold. He weaves a tale that is as enthralling and captivating as ever, that will appeal to lovers of good tales whatever their age. The author's own pen-and-ink drawings are as charming as ever, too.

This is one of the few Swallows and Amazons books that can be read earlier in the sequence than it appears (if you really must) without major detriment to either itself or the earlier stories (except, perhaps "Winter Holiday"). You do need to have read it before most of the ones that follow it, however, as the events described here feature heavily in later ones.

After being introduced in the last book, WINTER HOLIDAY, the D's (aka Dick and Dorothea Callum), have their own adventure.

It's the Easter holiday following their winter adventure, and they're going to the Norfolk Broads to stay with a friend of their mother, Mrs. Barrable, to stay on a boat. The D's are eager to learn some sailing but are desolated to find out that they can't. But soon they're involved with the Coot Club: leader Tom Dudgeon, twins Port and Starboard, and the Death-and-Glories, a trio of youngsters who play at piracy. The Coot Club watches over the waterbirds nesting in the Broads, and after a boatload of crass tourists anchors near an important nest and refuses to move, Tom sets them adrift and ends up being hunted. The D's and Mrs. Barrable come to the rescue, hiding him on their boat and using him to teach sailing.

Ransome's fondness for the Norfolk Broads shines through. I didn't get into it as much as some of the other books, mainly because I miss the Swallows and Amazons as well as the lake setting. But this book is interesting for some of the more serious themes that creep in. This is the first S&A book that takes a strong environmental theme, and it's great to see that in something from the 30s. It also explores the theme of sometimes you have to take a stand for what you believe in, even if it gets you in trouble. We also see the tension between residents of the broads and noisy vacationers who don't respect them or the rules of the area. There are also elegiac glimmers of the passage of time, of how the Broads aren't quite what they used to be, although that might not necessarily be bad. It's also fun to see Mrs. Barrable referred to as "The Admiral" by the crew.

It's a fun book, and easy for me to visualize after visiting places like Chincoteague and the eastern shore of Maryland. It's nice spending time with the D's and seeing some of the new characters, who will make a return appearance later in the series. Next book: PIGEON POST, in which the D's reunite with the S&As and return to the lake.

I bought this book for my niece but ended up buying a second copy for my coffee table. Weatherford's paintings are fabulous!

A beautifully illustrated book written about a boy and his dog in the Great Southwest. It's colorful and interesting. The dog is especially cute, even though he's suppose to be gruff.

I really enjoyed it as my friends with their kids have also.

The key reason to read this book to your child is because, this story inspires self awareness. It is presented through the eyes of an intelligent, and aware desert dog. This book inspires the idea of identity...and that is why I recommend it.

Very entertaining and descriptive. A great read, time and time again. I wish my dog was this cool! I will definitely buy this book for my kids.

Desert Dog is an absolutely beautiful book. The words are poetry; the illustrations are rich, complex paintings. It makes a great gift for kids or adults who love the outdoors. Desert Dog is my 8 year old nephew's new favorite book!

It gave a true depiction of cats and basset hounds - basically that a male basset hound can be a better mother than a mama cat. Okay, so maybe I'm a little biased about bassets...but I love cats, too! It was a delightful book with marvelous illustrations. Great for the little kiddies (and the bigger ones, too!) who love animals.

The Dog Who Had Kittens

The book is an animal fiction story. The story takes place in spring at the dog, boy, and cat's home. And now that there are little paws running around the house things change. First things get worse. Then things turn better for good news. The book is about a cat named Eloise. She is black, white, and grey. She has 7 kittens and 3 of them look like their mom. A dog named Baxter is a basset hound who spends most of his time with the kittens! One day Baxter starts to love the kittens and takes care of them. He has lots of fun with them. There's a boy in the story too and he doesn't let the dog in the kitchen. That's where the kittens are and you know that dogs hate cats.

I really love the book The Dog Who Had Kittens by Polly M. Robertus and published by the trumpet club. It made me laugh finding out that Baxter took care of the kittens cause at the beginning Baxter doesn't want the kittens around. I was excited to see how Baxter fed them and let them use him for their own personal playhouse. I would recommend this book for boys and girls of all ages.

I have a Basset, so I am partial to this book anyway.

Adorable, sad, happy, heart-warming story all rolled into one.
Tear jerker for the animal lover.

Brilliant illustrations!

You will not disappointed! I promise.

This endearing book is not only a cute story about a dog and cats, but has a deeper message about love and devotion to others not like yourself. Janet Steven's illustrations are humorous! The dog, a Basset Hound, is very expressive, even with all his wrinkles. Anyone who has had to take care of more than a couple of kittens can relate to the picture of Baxter (the dog) spread-eagled on the kitchen floor trying to keep track of the kittens all going separate directions! This book is a present for my 4 1/2 year old son, and I know I'll be reading this story over and over again, to my delight!

In this story, Baxter, a family's basset hound, grows affection for the cat, Eloise's newborn kittens. Once they are born, Baxter is forbidden to go near the little babies, but one day, his curiosity over comes him and he wanders into the laundry room, where the kittens stay. To his surprise, they are tiny, blind, weak, and helpless. Since Eloise is not around, he answers to their mews and feels that he must take care of them. Eloise soon finds him near her babies and makes him leave, immediately.
Soon, Eloise trusts Baxter and he plays with and takes care of the kittens. He is there for the kittens all the time.
When the kittens have grown and are sold to other families, Baxter grows lonely and upset. He doesn't know what to do with out seven little fuzz-balls to look after. Eloise sees how sad Baxter is and comforts him. She thanks him for all of his help in taking care of the kittens.
I think that this charming story, written by Polly M. Robertus, sends a message of love and devotion. It is delightful and enjoyable to read. The illustrations of Janet Stevens are humorous and show a great amount of emotion. This book is great for young children and the parents who read it to them. Enjoy!

As an old-time radio fan who has just recently discovered the magic of Don McNeill's "Breakfast Club" program (and WHY aren't there more surviving recordings of this series currently in circulation among collectors?), I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Doolittle's new book. I found it to give fascinating and in-depth looks into the "behind-the-scenes" workings of the show, the network and sponsor difficulties with the TV version, and the careers and private lives of the McNeill family and the various cast members. I found the section regarding Kay McNeill's (Don's wife) mental and physical decline from Altzheimer's Disease to be particularly poignant and heartbreaking...especially considering what a vibrant person she seemed to be prior to her illness. In a previous review, Mr. Slobb criticizes the book for treating Don McNeill as if he were God...I respectfully disagree. The book deals with the two personas of Mr. McNeill....How he could seem outgoing on the program and be quite introverted, even sullen, in real life. However, after reading the book one gets the impression that Don McNeill was basically a fine person. After working with Mr. McNeill for a number of years and numerous broadcasts, Mr. Slobb's complaints are that Don McNeill never spoke to him, or that Don gave Mr. Slobb "cheap" Christmas presents....I don't think that those issues really put Don McNeill into the "ruthless S.O.B" category. Unlike fellow "morning man" Arthur Godfrey, who truly alienated his cast members and had some very ugly parting of the ways, most of Don McNeill's regulars stayed with him for YEARS. There were male and female singers who would leave the show to get married and raise families, tour on club dates, go into the service, etc. Don had a friendly "open-door" policy with these departed singers.....Most of them would return to fill in when their replacements would be out sick, on vacation, etc., and these "pinch-hitting" former regulars were always made to feel welcome. I'm sorry to digress from the book itself, but I felt that the preceding needed to be said. I found this book to be enlightening, interesting, inspiring and a LOT of fun...sort of like an actual "Breakfast Club" broadcast! I recommend it highly!

The Don McNeill Breakfast Club was a comfort of home, a memory of cherished moments sitting by the radio with my family. When I heard that a book had been written about the program I had high expectations. I was more impressed than I could have imagined. Not only did I feel a stronger sense of who Don McNeill was, I also gained perspective on American History through radio, which was so perfectly encompassed in The Breakfast Club. For anyone who remembers the lazy mornings by the radio, or for anyone who is interested in American culture and history, this book is a must!

Although I am old enough to have been able to remember Don McNeill's Breakfast Club I have only heard of him, and wanted to learn more about this popular radio show. Author John Doolittle has done an excellent job in bringing out the personality of Don McNeill. Don was a devoted family man who, despite an extroverted personality when interviewing people, was more of an introvert away from the show. Don was devoted to the midwest and chose to keep his show in Chicago from various downtown locations. I would say the primary reason for the success of the show was his sincere interest in people in addition to his willingness to pay the price in preparation time. Those who filled in for him found out there is more involved than chatting with members of the studio audience. The silent prayer and the march around the breakfast table were interesting staples of this show that I wasn't aware of. Don McNeill was a sincere man both on the show and in his private life. The CD that came with the book I bought provides interesting snippets on some of his shows and was especially interesting to listen to after having read the book. Don McNeill was a giant of radio who had a lot to contribute to other people and did.

This is a fascinating journey back through radio and american history.

The "Breakfast Club" was a morning radio program staple in hundreds of thousands of homes across America beginning in 1933 until its final broadcast in December of 1968. Don McNeill hosted this program which was completely unscripted and involved a lot of studio audience participation. Now John Doolittle has memorialized that unique and beloved radio show host and his program in Don McNeill And His Breakfast Club. Here is the history of a man and a program that developed an enormous and loyal listenership in an era when broadcast radio was the major daily mass media for information and culture in the country. Doolittle's informative, enthusiastically recommended history is enriched with the inclusion of an accompanying CD with sample clips from the show to give the reader an authentic flavor of what the program was like and why it became (and stayed) one of the most popular components of morning radio.

Ms. Farrow held my interest in this book from beginning to end. The suspence and intrigue of the characters was well written; and the love story part was outstanding. She knows her stuff. Hope Ms. Farrow writes another soon!

Julie has certainly explained her characters and made them very believable. I rarely read love stories because they are so much the same but this had a really human interest story with it and was described very well. She kept my interest up throughout the book. I look forward to her sequel, Shelley's Promise and will certainly pass this on to my friends. Continue the story, Julie.

WOW! Faith's Desire hooked me in the beginning, carried me along with fast-paced drama, and swung me into a page-turning dynamite ending. Titilating romance scenes added another dimension to the already powerful action sequences and kept me glued to the book. The author obviously has had extensive experience in a trauma center, or did an amazing job of research, because the Emergency room segments of the story were very realistic and had a ring of professionalism.

Great book! Great story! Great read!

I'm not one to read most romance novels, but this one caught my attention because of the subject matter. The author knows her stuff. That's obvious from the detailed descriptions of life in an urban ER facility. This is no television script. It's fast paced, exciting, lots of intrigue and action. Like I said, it's not a typical romance. You guys out there will like it too. Give this one a read. You'll never think of ER's the same again!

EMERGENCY! Faith's Desire is a wonderful romantic adventure told by an expert who knows what it's like to live a life or death, no mistakes career of a hospital emergency room. Love, romance, danger and mystery are all woven expertly in a thrilling epic by this dynamic author! Non-stop action and romantic adventure from start to finish!

I lack the adjectives to describe either the book or my reaction to it adequately. It has a cumulative power and majesty that must move even (especially?) the so-called conventional "social drinker" to wonder. Where, it forces me to ask, among the array of well-limned personalities in this finely written volume and among these tenderly laced vignettes am I? The book has a lyric quality to it that saves it from any sign of preachiness. It compels one to visualize, even if one has not had the experiences of Mr. Thomson's fellowship, the agony lurking in the transcient pleasures of drink. Bravo and congratulations, Mr. Thomson!

David Earl Thomson's Fellowship of Men and Women makes a powerful impact. Much of it comes from the ease with which you get to know his characters, ordinary people, familiar and likeable, before realizing that each in his own way, is spinning out of control. These are alcoholics and, as any alcoholic can attest, an alcoholic is usually the last to acknowledge how bad things really are. Thomson's portraits reminded me of "the mass of men" Henry David Thoreau described over a hundred years ago leading "lives of quiet desperation", and reveal how some choose to deal or forget. Readers should not be surprised to find a friend or loved one -- or themselves -- on these pages, so perceptive are Thomson's observations. Buy this book for someone you love.

This powerful book stands alone in its literary value and has the added emotional impact of an inside look at various kinds of alcoholism and its effects on those around them. It makes clear that it is a disease. The book makes you care about each of the people and you find yourself realizing that they need help and not condemnation. A must read for a deeper understanding of one of today's most pressing issues.

"A Fellowship of Men and Women" is one of those books that you hate to leave when it is finished, because of the way the author puts words together. Not only do they linger in your ears and in your brain, they also weave a story that is poignant and compelling. I was amazed to find myself transported inside each character at a visceral level, giving me an understanding of addiction as I never have before. The writing is reminiscent of Hemmingway and I can't wait for Thomson's next novel. In the meantime, every teenager, adult, counselor, teacher, doctor, crisis manager, AA and Alanon leader should use this novel as a textbook. Never has such a hard, profound message been so easy to absorb!

A Fellowship of Men and Women is an incredibly moving novel. It is a compilation of many lives all touched by alcoholism, yet each in such different ways. It is an unbelievably valuable book for anyone who has or has had any contact with this disease. I fell in love with each and every character, and had trouble putting the book down, right to the very end.

This is a favorite storybook in our home. I enjoy reading this one to our four children, and its one of their all time favorites. Its right next to the nightstand.
I think I enjoy reading Five O'Clock Charlie as much as they enjoy hearing it read to them!

I'm 47 and I still remember reading this when I was a child. I just fell in love with Charlie and have always wanted a horse like him that would stick his head in the kitchen window. I went on to read Misty and Stormy, Misty's Foal when I got a little older but Charlie never left my heart. A great read with terrific illistrations your kids will remember for years to come!!

Five O'clock Charlie was my favorite book as a child and I read it to my children when they were little. It became such a favorite of my children that when the oldest got married and moved out of state the kids argued over who would keep my original copy. Well she took it with her against the wishes of the others. I have read this book to kindergarden classes and they have all asked that it be read again and again. I have ordered it for every child I have on a gift list and their parents love it as much as the child does.

Five O'Clock Charlie was my favorite childhood book, and it still has a special place on my shelf and in my heart. A must for anyone who loves horses, regardless of whether you're young or just young at heart! A great gift for anyone.

Charlie,the work horse was retired by his master who said Charlie was too old to work. In fact, everybody said he was too old. Everyone, that is, except Charlie. He is lonely in his pasture where nothing grows but thistles and chickweed. He is bored and hungry. He remembers the old days when he used to get treats from the tavern cook, Birdie, and escapes from his pasture each day at five o'clock to return to the inn. There he finds that he can still be useful and important, even though he no longer can pull wagons or a plow.

For reader information,the novel 'The Funeral Club' was recently written as a stage play and produced in Georgia by Habersham Theatre and also enjoyed a run at the exclusive 14th Street Playhouse in downtown Atlanta. 'The Funeral Club' is a quaint, warm and funny story about a group of five senior-aged women who battle a Wal-Mart-like mentality in order to save their small business and cozy Southern community. The book recants the same story heard all over the United States --in reality--concerning the death of many small towns and their businesses at the hands of corporate America! Enjoyable read and now, theatre production. --The Author

The Funeral Club is a well written work of art. The author combines small town humor and the internal dialogues of a funeral home staff to keep the reader from putting the book down until the end. Thumbs up from this reader! Can't wait to read the next one - Summer at Hope's Croft

Our book store has sold over 100 copies of this regional book since its release late last year. Great read for your summer vacation

I recently read this book at Clemson University. I bought it at the Barnes & Noble Store on Campus. I come from a small town and had heard that is was really funny. It was a quick read and I laughed out loud many times over the weekend. This guy really knows how to tell a story. Also, a great message for those who are tired of seeing small towns run-over by big business. Great book

Stafford has captured the true "steel magnolias" who live in the south and often operate a business around the corner from me and you. We all know the ladies. B. Mayo--San Antonio, Texas