Clubs Books

This is the 15th year I have given my mother the Sierra Club Engagement Calendar for Christmas. I must confess I made a big mistake one year and gave her a different kind. This was NOT okay! She loves this calendar and saves every one of them. She enjoys looking back through them; it is like a walk down memory lane, "Oh, I remember when...". I am grateful that you are able to give her such enjoyment. Last, but not least, the photographs in there are awesome! Keep up the good work.

I got this for my aunt for christmas one year, just on a whim, and every year since she's always made absolutely certain that I'm getting it for her again. She loves it. The thing I like most about it is that it's got a new photo every time you flip a page... I hate the kind that only have, like, 5 pictures total in the whole thing. I suppose my only caution would be that having so many great pics leaves less room for actual writing space... so if you're one of those people who need to plan out ever last little 15 minutes of time between 6 am and midnight... this might not be best for you. ;]

Sierra Club 2004 Engagement Calendar:
"The most popular nature calendar ever published".
Stunning images of flora and fauna.
Week-by-week format with 57 full-color photographs.
Gift-boxed.
In order to view 12 thumbnail images, go to this page:
sierraclub.org/books/calendars/
This exquisite appointment book rates 4 stars rather than 5
because the paper utilized in its production is neither
Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) (ie, produced w/o chlorine nor
with any chlorinated bleaching compound) (H2O2 is OK), nor
50% (or more) "Post-consumer reclaimed waste" (that is,
reclaimed paper-fiber that has served its end purpose).

I am a professional photographer so I truly enjoy the artwork inside this book. On top of that, there is tons of room for me to write in my appointments and client information. It's a great calander to have!

This engagement calendar contains REALLY beautiful photos for every week of the year. The photos range from rocks, to water, to wildlife, to mountains. There are a few closeups of small animals, leaves, and snowflakes. The calendar has photos covering all seasons, as well. The week starts with Monday at the top of the page, and finishes with Sunday at the bottom of the page. There is plenty of room to write in appointments. Dimensions are about 7" x 9", x 1/2". The quality of the paper is lovely. I bought it for myself, and I love it.

I have this calendar - it's great. I always buy the Sierra Club engagement calendar. I happened to notice that the 2006 price by private sellers on Amazon is quite high, while you can get the 2006 calendars from the Sierra Club for $5. If for some reason you want a 2006 at this point, go to the Sierra Club.

This is about the 8th year I've gotten this and always enjoy the weekly colorful scenes.

For 8 years I have purchased the beautiful Sierra Club
Calendar. There is enough room to record all of my appointments,
follow through on the results of the appointments, note all of the important crises that occur. and all of the wonderful
"mouthings" of my children! What a beautiful "book" to
treasure!!

I am a photographer and a writer and the author of numerous books on photography and I have had a copy of the Sierra Club Engagement Calendar on my desk every day for more than 20 years. I find this calendar to be an inspiration in terms of both its beautiful photography and its wonderful geographic diversity. I've never had a photo published in the Engagement book, but I've probably gathered more inspiration and ideas from these little calendars than from the hundreds of how-to books in my office.

The photos in these engagement calendars are the cream of the cream of the crop of the world's best nature photography. Master photographers like the late Galen Rowell, who had many dozens of photos published here, consider it one of their finest showcases--and who can blame them. Sierra Club has never relented on the quality of the reproduction of these superb datebooks and considering there are more than 50 photos in each book, the price is a bargain.

I have used this calendar as a journal and a diary of my writing progress for, literally, decades. And whenever my brain starts to freeze after writing about photography for weeks on end and I need a new idea to write about, I simply flip through the calendars and I can discover hundreds of them in the work of many of the greatest modern nature-photography masters. Also, when I'm looking for travel ideas, places to go to shoot new pictures for my books, I also look here for inspiration and ideas. The Mojave Desert, Monument Valley, the Everglades, the Sonoran desert--these are all places that I learned about in great detail from these datebooks. You learn more about a place by seeing great photos of it than you ever will by reading about it--or so I feel. (Of course, you learn a great deal more if you hop on an plane and go see it!)

Finally, I gave my mother the engangement calendar for Christmas every year for around 20 years and she used them as a daily journal. I still have every one of those journals and they are a great joy to flip through and see what she was up to each day.

Why this long winded (and very sincere!) endorsement for such a simple product? Because I owe these caldendars (and the Sierra Club) a debt of gratitude for inspiring me day after day, year after year, with the greatest photography in the world. If you have a young photographer in your life, inspire them, show them how spectacular photographs of the natural world can be. For an investment of under $15 you can change their perceptions of nature and help educate them about fine photography. Someone gave me my first copy of this calendar many years ago and I've been grateful ever since.

Of course, I have to warn you, once you look at some of these photos you'll want to put your camera up on Ebay :) But don't do it! Instead, use these photos as your photographic inspiration and your goal.

Jeff Wignall
Author, The Joy of Digital Photography (Lark Books)

I am an environmentalist, and once served as an officer of my local Sierra Club chapter, although I later parted ways with them on account of their anti-private-sector views and tendencies toward "Political Correctness", and I now favor less-radical groups such as The Nature Conservancy. That said, I still continue to purchase one of these little spiral-bound Sierra Club engagement calendars every year--they're just so handy, and the photography is beautiful. There's usually also space on the facing page (with the photograph) to make additional notes.

So This is Wilderness... offers some of the most insightful prose about growing up and learning who we are and what is important to us of any book around. The book's several stories offer characters, situations, and feelings that one can relate to, which is, after all, the hallmark of a great story. David's writing style is unique, inviting, and reflective of the way in which we think about things. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short and intriguing stories that will undoubtedly strike a chord of nostalgia.

In the course of an individuals maturation process, there are certain immutable truths that transcend the [genders] and the generations. Benjamin David has grasped that process and articulated it in such a fashion that any person who has been through, or will go through, these turbulent years, can identify with. In detailing the trials and tribulations of persons whom I can easily recognize, it was refreshing to see that I was not alone in my thoughts-awkward or normal, his characters embody life for a person my age. As each page passes and the characters unfold, it is easy to see a friend, an acquaintance, or even yourself evolving with the story. Truly a delight to read and an enlightening experience. I look forward to more stories from this talented, energetic, realistic and enlightening author.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I want to spread the word. I loved it and I can't wait for Benjamin David's next book.

Twenty three year old Benjamin David here presents his readership with a colorful collage of American Jewish youth in turn-of-the-century times. Miami apartments. Pennsylvania dormitory rooms. Used-clothing shops. Jerusalem movie theatres. Bar Mitzvahs, grocery stores, pubs, malls, bus rides... David's (extraordinarily well-developed) characters find themselves in the most awkward and maddening situations imaginable, again and again encountering figures altogether perplexing. His band of liberal Jews have us move from laughter to sobs and back to laugter all in the span of a couple of minutes. These stories epitomize the struggle that is and has been American Judaism. The book is sensational and needs to be read.

This book is a MUST read! The author has such a wonderful way with words! He tells his stories in a gentle and informative way. The reader will feel that he has a very close personal relationship with the characters, and at times the narrator of these enchanting stories. With a warm personal style David invites his readers into the mind and the heart of his characters. He reveals to us clear and poignant pictures of a young Jewish man as he experiences life in Israel and in what appears to be his native United States. The reader will also feel a close relationship with the protagonists friends, lovers, and even his relatives. Anyone who enjoys well written yet entertaining short stories must read this book.

I've read the Soldiers of Summer twice already.... Not because he's my father, but because it brings you back to a time when we weren't on the edge of fascism, and police did their job based on talent and skill instead of cameras and patriot acts.... A talented police officer, writer, and professional bodyguard tells a compelling story about life behind the badge... Beautifully written. It's a refreshing look at a time when Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Dio, Ozzy, and all the metal greats were about to rule the airwaves. A time when black was black and white was white... a time of national and cultural identity and strength.... As Joseph put it.... Before 9-11-2001....

The Soldiers Of Summer is one of the finest novels I have ever read. Mr. Phillips takes us on a journey that begins in the quite of a suburban morning and ends on a battlefield of wills and emotions in the upstate of Fort Drum, NY. Phillips' protagonists are five New York City police officers who believe their two week training duty for the Army Reserve will be like a vacation for them but upon arrival find out this is not the case. After getting chewed out by their Platoon Sergeant, James Corey, for being late, they encounter their commanding officer, Captain Lyle Longjohnson, a strange man wearing dark glasses at night and slapping a riding crop against his thigh as he speaks. Things go progressively downhill after that; late night guard duty, full work days that begin at dawn, and forced marches ensue, leaving them their only consolation, alcohol. They name their bivouac area Whiskey Hill and vow not to succumb to their Captain's willful attempts at trying to destroy them due to his mistaken belief they're trying to prevent him from getting a promotion to Major he covets.
However, along the way Phillips treats us to an insiders view of what the cop life in New York really entails and how alochol becomes an escape, much the way Joseph Wambaugh did in his novels about L.A. cops, a fraternity that has much in common no matter what coast you live on. Broken marriages due to infidelity abound but here you find out why they happened, as Phillips' emotionally bloodied protagonists forge their way to a conclusion that becomes inevitable if the reader has been paying attention.
As far as Mr. Phillips writing, it is smooth, easy and flows well allowing the reader to fully enjoy his gifted prose style much the way readers have enjoyed those noted few who came before him. Yes, Soldiers is a real literary find and a stunning achievement for someone the reading public knows little of but should know much about to give him his proper place in the American literary scene of today. GET THIS BOOK TODAY!!!!

What happens when a group of ordinary men find themselves in the middle of chaos, disorder, and violence? This is the question explored by author, Joseph L. Phillips, in his new book, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER. The main characters, Welles, Devlin, and Griffin, a group of New York City police officers, journey into the throes of chaos at a two-week summer camp for the Army Reserve. Mr. Phillip's offers his readers an intimate look into what "can" or "might" happen to a person and the choices growing out of such unexpected events. Set in 1978, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER, is a crazy beer-soaked romp that travels from New York to Canada and back again, skillfully incorporating the anti-war sentiment of Vietnam into the storyline. It mirrors the world in which we live as well as some people we would rather not meet! A poignant and disturbing look at the various sides of human behavior and character, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER is a novel intended to enlighten and challenge its readers, as well as to make them take a deeper look at the positive and negatives sides of humanity. The "good guys" head off to summer camp in good spirits, while trying to recover from hang-overs, in the comical opening scene. The characters are realistic and will be familiar to many as an old friend or the neighbor down the street. They are the "average guy", caught-up in his middle-age-years during the late 1970's. Phillips gives extensive background scenes on the characters, relating their mishaps and obstacles to past experiences in a way that aids the reader in understanding the complexity of the characters, their motivation and their goals. A good book for audiences who enjoy genre fiction novels of this nature, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER, is not without some problems. Mr. Phillip's presents an interesting, action-packed story, but he leaves the reader confused and distracted by some of the "telling" interspersed in the story. Elaborate sentence structure, and a seemingly "too literate" langauge from characters at certain points in the story, detract from the flow of action. However, Mr. Phillip's does an excellent job overall with the dialog and is most often real, true and vibrant. This brings the characters to life and creates clear personality traits and tendencies that the reader will recognize and identify with. There are some passages that leave the reader a little off-track and confused. Still, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER succeeds in its effort to tell a story about real people who must deal with situations unusual and foreign to them. The fact that these people are police officers simply makes the tale more intriguing. Even with its problems, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER is a vivid tale that engages the reader as it explores the harsher side of humanity. A good book for the "summer reader" to take along to the beach with them.

I have always been more the fan of literay works with emphasis on characters than the genre novels that seem to dominate today's market and in The Soldiers Of Summer I have found one. Mr. Phillips, a retired police officer, takes us on what could have been just another cop tale but this one has a twist. These men are members of the Army Reserve doing their two weeks summer camp during the summer of 1978. It should be a vacation but it turns out to be a nightmare they can only cope with by sequestering themselves into their own tight knit group where whiskey and their camaraderie becomes their only source of relief. They also have their own personal demons to deal with from problems on their job, lingering nightmares for some from the Vietnam War, to broken marriages and relationships that have made their lives a bitter pill to swallow. There are a few comedic interludes along the way, a weekend trip to Lake George that ends in a fight and a trip to Canada that goes awry. This novel has all the makings of a damn good movie also along the lines of The Last Detail, and if someone doesn't snap up the rights they're crazy. This is a great read with characters that will stay with you long after you've put it down, so don't let this one slip by.

I'll admit it, I've always liked books by ex-policemen about life in the cop shop and beyond. Joseph Wambaugh's Lines and Shadows is still one of my favorites. The Soldiers of Summer, however elevates the genre several steps beyond ordinary fiction and into the realm of literature. Joseph Phillips, who patroled the streets of New York in the 1970s and 1980s, in the pre-Guiliano wild days, paints a portrait of policing that is at once compassionate and compelling, with riveting characters who will remain in your head long after you put this book down. His prose style is short, sweet and to the point, enough so that Hemingway would be proud! Even if you're not an avid fan of cop books, this one's worth a read. Give it a try--you won't be sorry.

If you have come across this page, you had better read this book. I could not recomend a better one.

Peter Shandy, a botanical expert, is on a mission in Pickwance, to discover a mystery about some lupines that are growing in an area where they usually do not. All goes well until one night when a local man, Jasper Flodge, dies while eating his dinner at the same Inn Peter is staying at. Over the course of a few days the restaurant is a busy place; full of new characters discovering the past of Jasper; trying to unravel the mystery of his untimely demise. It takes another murder and a great deal of gossip before Peter and his wife, whom he called to come help solve this mystery, to settle the case. This book is one that is full of suspense and thrills. There are many mini-plots that run through it to tie the entire novel into a unimaginable conclusion. This is a must read; one of Charlotte's pieces.

This book is not only a great science fiction read which is full of suspense but it is also a touching love story. I am not normally a science fiction reader but I loved this book. The characters were real and well rounded. The suspense was great. I couldn't wait to turn each page. I look forward to a long and fruitful writing career from Mr Blaylock.

There is no getting this story out of my head. The best part is when the people Moo. Do yourself a favor and check this one out.

Loaded with celebrity fun... I was looking for something to touch on my gigglebox & this was it. I loved this wacky roller coaster story - complete with romance, time travel, celebrity appearances, coming of age, and the unearthing of the government's water conspiracy. I highly recommend this to all folks that need a little dose of humor, solid characters, and just an all around good story.

Stacey has a crush on his math teacher. she tries to work harder and she is the teaher's pet. When there is a dance, she turned down Sam's offer with them.

In this book, Stacey has a crush on her twenty two year old teacher. She worked hard in math and even gave him a beautiful poem. She turned down Kristy's brother Sam who wanted to go with her to the Spring Dance. Instead, she wanted to go with the teacher. But the teacher said he was too old for Stacey.

Stacey's student math teacher is a hunk and Stacey is in luv. To impress him, she worked twice as hard in math(her favourite subject) and got perfect grades and his approval, she would help him after class with organizing the classroom and at one point he dropped her off to a BSC meeting cause she was running late and she took those as signs that he was interested in her. She was so hopeful that she had written a beautiful poem for him and gave it to him but after that he started distancing himself from her and when she confronted him saying that she liked him, she burst into tears. She even turned down Kristy's brother Sam when he asked her to the Spring Dance because she was so sure she would go with her teacher, she went with her friends and had a couple fast dances with her teacher but then when she tried asking him to have a slow dance, he told her that she's a great girl but she's a student and he's way too old for her, and that he sees her nothing more than a brilliant student and great person, but in a nice way and stacey felt heartbroken. I can completely relate to her feelings of thinking she had a chance with him although it was very unlikely to happen. The way the book was written descriptively makes you feel like you are there with Stacey and could relate to her.

this book was extremely well written! Ann M Martin really went into detail and description about the setting and about stacey's feelings of love towards her student math teacher Wes. If you're in middle school and are crushing on someone, you can truly relate to stacey.

A really good book! Keep up the good work, Ms. Martin!

The season is spring, and wedding bells ring! At least, that's the thing that's on Stacey's mind. When a student teacher arrives at Stoneybrook Middle School and is going to be Stacey's subsitute math teacher, Stacey can't pay attention in class! Wes is cute, but he's 22! But then Stacey realizes that not every romance will work. Read this book!

I learned of this book by chance and feel very fortunate. While Genesse lost her daughter through an accident, I lost mine through suicide. Yet the emotions are just the same. The loss of a child is devastating. Genesse is a natural poet and her poetry carries through from the news her daughter has died to the final acceptance of this fact in her life. It spoke to my heart, not only with her words, but sometimes how the poems were arrayed on the page. It is a book I will give others who have lost a child in the future.

Genesse's poetry is written for the love and in memory of her daughter Lori who passed away in a tragic accident. I too am a bereaved parent, who went on Amazon to find books to read. Not only did the poetry help me, I felt I knew Genesse (she feels everything I do). I bought the first copy for myself and then ordered many more to give to friends and relatives to help them understand what I was feeling. Genesse writes so pure and with so much love.

A very dear friend of mine purchased this book for me after the car accident that took the life of my 19 year old daughter, Amy. The poems in this book were exactely the feelings that I was experiencing. This mother put into words for me what I could not. I read the poems in this book everyday and they give me courage to know that even in the darkest hour there is hope. I would recommend this book to anyone who has suffered the sudden, tragic loss of a loved one.

this is a book of poetry written by a mother who lost a teenage child in a tragic accident.

the book is about loss, remembrance, sharing, support, understanding, compassion and recovery.......most of all the book is about love --- a mother's love for her child now gone, her love for her spouse and the child still here, and the love of her friends - both silent and vocal, physically present and distant.

touching, tearful, vibrant and thought provoking

When the author lost a daughter to death, she found herself, as most grievers do, on the edge of fatal despair.To cite Torquato Tasso, poet of ancient Rome, "and where human beings fall silent in pain, a god gave me the gift to speak my suffering." Gentry's pages are alive with the full range of human emotions - grief beyond endurance, bittersweet memories, and a slow move toward the light of positive survival. This book needs reading more than once -- it is a basic recognition of humanity in desperate times.

Lisa's parents are fighting and Lisa latches onto a stray horse at the local animal shelter. She feels that the horse needs her, when really she needs the horse, To keep her busy and make her feel usefull. When it seems like her world is totally out of her hands, Pj is something she has an effect on.

I havn't read Stray Horse yet, but it looks REALLY good! Although, i really hope that this isn't the last book in the series, becasue the Saddle Club is just TO GOOD to end. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DON"T END THE SADDLE CLUB!
Although things that i think need imporoving are: More books with Phil, more funny bits, like, with Veronica or something. ALthough, i think the books need to have more in them. Everything happens in a short time, like HArd HAt for instance. When i read that, I felt as if i had only read about 6 chapters. Unless its just me, becasue i read pretty fast! hehe
It was a good book though!
Please take my thoughts into consideration Ms. Bryant!
Saddle Club Rules!!!!

This book was a good ending i think and it was sort of sad though. Lisa was so sure about PJ being the horse she wanted when he was taken away from her so fast! you can kinda of sense the end of the saddleclub while u read, but i also enjoy Pine Hollow, even though its mostly romance stuff. This is a good and really emotional book and it does leave u hanging and wondering if the end is near! buy it!

I am glad they finally made the 100th book in the regular line of the Saddle Club series. I only wish they would have made it a little more special, with something like stars, sparklies, and more pages to commemorate the 100th book. A good book overall, I almost cried when Lisa's parents told her the bad news, I felt for her.... If you are already a Saddle Club fan, then this book is alright.

What a moving book. Lisa's parents have just dropped a big bomb on her. Her parents are getting a divorce and she does not know how to deal with it very well. So she starts spending a lot of time at the local animal shelter where she becomes attached to a stray horse She names PJ and you'll just have to read the book to find out why she named him that. Stevie and Carole are doing the best they can to be supportive of their friend in her time of need. Can they help lisa come to terms with her Parnets divorce and the sudden arrival of Pj's Orginal owner? Just read this book and you will learn all the anwers. This book Really helps to Tie into the first book of the Pine hollow Series Called the Long Road Home. Be sure to read this one!!!! IT had me tears!

35 years after reading this the first time, I found myself wanting to read all about Sue and her friends again. I have spent the last 32 years in nursing, and am still going strong in school as well as actual practice. The stories are fun, heartwarming and an excellent opportunity to re-visit the wonder of being new to the art of nursing. Great reading for a young person who thinks she (or he) might want to pursue a career in the hands and heart profession of Nursing.

I loved these books as a child, and 40 years later (30 of them, nursing) I still love them. The books are a fascinating time capsule of nursing in the 1930's through '50's. The surface of nursing has changed immensely, but the spirit of it is shown vividly in these stories: respectful, non-pitying caring for people in their crunch times. And on a third level, they're fine stories of growing up, in any age.

This is the first book in the series. It starts with Sue joining forces with her soon to be best friends Kit and Connie on a wonderful and some times frightening adventure in nursing school. This is the way nursing should be taught ......with the students living in the hospital having classes in the morning and working with patients part of day.
This book gives a delightful view of a bygone era. I highly reccomend this series for all ages.
An interesting bit of trivia......Helen Boylston was living with Laura Ingalls Wilder while writing some of the Sue Barton books. Helen and Rose Wilder were friends.

This is the first of the "Sue Barton" series. In this story, Sue enters nursing school. She meets two girls, Kit and Connie, who become her best friends. And during their first year there, Sue learns the techniques of nursing as she is gradually moved from one department to another in the course of her studies.

One running concern the student nurses have, is whether they will have the courage to risk their lives in a life-or-death emergency. Sue is especially doubtful about this. Then, one night she herself is rushed into surgery for an emergency appendectomy. Then, while recovering on the ward, she suddenly comes up against a delirious patient who is trying to escape from the hospital. Can Sue stop her --even if the situation puts Sue herself into danger?

This is a wonderful story. Having been first published in 1936, some of the dialogue is a little dated, but otherwise, the story moves quickly and builds to an exciting and logical climax. Highly recommended.

Sue B beats Cherry Ames hands down. Both are nursing series and I like them both but Sue Barton series includes character and plot development that the Ames books just don't have though they are amusing. Sue Barton is fully fleshed out character that you want to succeed.
This book is about her probationary year in which she has several exciting adventures that firmly awaken her to why she wants to be a nurse.

My first reaction to this book was, "650 pages to cover just one summer? I hope Konrath never writes a memoir!" I'm glad that first impressions weren't lasting, as the quasi-autobiographical novel really does not have much that could be cut out.

The story covers the summer of 1992 for John Conner, as he struggles with a painful breakup, the possibility of failing out of school, perpetual money troubles, and the challenges of picking up women via computer 10 years before it becomes trendy. Top it off with a diagnosed case of bipolar disorder, and you have a trying summer.

Although it helps to have lived in Bloomington to appreciate the precision of Konrath's descriptions, the book's deeper messages of alienation, struggle and coping with change make it appropriate for broader audiences.

Summer Rain is the obsessively detailed, fictional memoir of a type I bipolar living out a penniless summer in Bloomington, Indiana. The action takes place in the late pre-Internet era, probably a year away from the advent of Mosaic/Netscape Navigator, and much of the narrative sweep has to do with computers and early networking. John Conner, the narrator, lives mostly in his boiling imagination, creating a world of his own out of chaotic death metal, bottom-feeder jobs and meticulously described fast-food meals (you can feel the protagonist's hunger--will this be my last scrap of food until payday?). He yearns for the One True Love that he is certain exists somewhere. She does, but only in his fevered, pharmaceutically fueled dreams, tantalizingly out of reach. The most interesting parts of the novel are when Conner goes off the deep end of either depression or mania--shoved there by the girls who initially want him, then send him packing when they become overwhelmed by his intensity. This happens enough to keep the book percolating until it simmers to a close.

VAX, drugs, and rock n roll: John Conner's metaphorical rainy world of terror is rampant with uncooperative co-eds, cheap alcohol, bad food and death metal. Ever wondered what it's like to be stuck in a college town when there's barely a college in session? "Summer Rain" is a darkly humorous depiction of two long months in Bloomington, Indiana.

When I was in college, one of the big important books you were supposed to read was Coupland's _Generation X_. But the big secret was that I was never able to finish it; this was a source of guilt for years, until I came to terms with the fact that this book and this buzzword simply did not speak for me. Back then I'd found even the 80s minimalists more engaging. Well now this generation has come of age and grown and this book documents that sliver of time in the early 1990s when everything was so ripe and promising with the golden hue of youth. Who would be first to write about those early days of TCP/IP computer networks, university Internet access and Usenet that we all learned and lived through in college? Jon Konrath. He was there and that's what he wrote about in this first book of his, a big thick novel about heavy metal college radio and midwestern campus life at its Nineties slacker apex. It's honest, evocative, and funny as hell at times. You should buy it now in this first edition and greet him in the beginning of what is sure to be a long career.

Hi, I'm Jon Konrath, the author of Summer Rain, and I thought I'd thank everyone for reading these reviews and tell you a bit about the book. The story is based on the first summer I spent at Indiana University in 1992. John Conner is broke, flunking college, and just lost his girlfriend. He's living hand-to-mouth in a quiet college town, exploring the underworld of strange characters, slackerdom, and high-tech computers while trying to find love, money and happiness. It's a story about making the decision between a life of success and boredom versus a life of creativity and uncertainty, and would interest anyone who grew up in the early nineties or went to a college surrounded by cool people. I hope you check out the book, and visit my web site at rumored.com for more information on my writing. Thanks!