Clubs Books

I am not a fan of wrestling so this book actually opened up a new world of adventure for me. The story is wonderful, exciting and I couldn't put it down. The characters are well written and human and you sympathize with them. I read the book within a couple of days and really enjoyed it. I couldn't put it down. A great book for die hard wrestling fans and everyone else, too.

IF you're interested in adventure stories, you'll love, From Parts Unknown. It's hero, Stephen, is an ordinary man, thrust unwillingly into an extraordinary situation. His family and his humanity are under threat. how he deals with this threat is a major theme of the novel. His arch nemesis, Vornaki, is a classic villain, complete with minions, evil schemes, and a plan to take over the universe.

The novel is based in the wrestling world, and this gives the author an opportunity to incorporate elements of comic books and satire to illustrate his main points. It also allows him to pepper the novel with a cast of intriguing and unusual characters.

Humour, pathos and fast paced story telling make this a novel for people of all ages. I recommend it for anybody who is interested in a traditional good versus evil story.

If you're interested in adventure stories, you'll love, From Parts Unknown. It's hero, Stephen, is an ordinary man, thrust unwillingly into an extraordinary situation. His family and his humanity are under threat. how he deals with this threat is a major theme of the novel. His arch nemesis, Vornaki, is a classic villain, complete with minions, evil schemes, and a plan to take over the universe.

The novel is based in the wrestling world, and this gives the author an opportunity to incorporate elements of comic books and satire to illustrate his main points. It also allows him to pepper the novel with a cast of intriguing and unusual characters.

Humour, pathos and fast paced story telling make this a novel for people of all ages. I recommend it for anybody who is interested in a traditional good versus evil story.

"From Parts Unkown" is a wonderfully wirtten and well researched book. The author has obviously spent a great deal of time researching the subject of wrestling. A ""Must-Read"" for wrestling fans, both young and old. Easy on the eyes and imagination. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves wrestling and reading alike. I opened the book on Monday night and finished it tuesday morning, I Could not put it down.

This book is really exciting and is good for people at 9 upwards but if you were looking for something serious and fun this is the right book for you.It contains alot of laughter and shocking things but it is still a really good book.

I LOVE CLUB STEPHANIE! THEY ARE SUCH GOOD BOOKS! I WANT TO READ THE NEXT ONE CAUSE THE LAST ONE LEKT ME HANGING WITH QUESTIONS

This book is cute. I now read more mature books, like Sweet Valley University, since I'm a teenager and all. But I remember when I read Full House books. The good ole Club Stephanie. It's cute and funny how every summer they always end up with the Flamingoes, and the same routine. The Flamingoes play tricks on them, they fight over the guys, etc. This book is great and really gives you the feeling of young summer love.

While not as explosive as "Friend or Flamingo," this first novel in the Club Stephanie series explores social incongruities in post-Cold War San Francisico. Wrapped around a bare bones Steinbeck-like narrative detailing the struggles of setting up a summer camp for neighborhood children, the book moves at such a blistering pace that it's easy to miss Quin-Harkin and Taaffe's subtle nuances. Indeed, their scope of intertextual references ranging from Chaucer to Pete Townshend fix the battle between the two groups on a wider social level, foreshadowing the LA riots and Atlanta Olympics.

The influence of William Golding is not lost on the authors either. Indeed, her paradise is all too easily corrupted. Stephanie emerges in the novel as a flawed heroine, whose victories depend upon her ability to arrive at universal truths. All the while, she remains engaging and entertaining to the reader.

While my love of the series leads me to award a 5 star rating to this book, my mixed feelings on the dualistic ending put it at 4 stars. The ending definitely raises more questions than it answers, leaving many a reader, myself included, feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

" Human slavery is wrong, insecure, and demoralising. On mechanical slavery, on the slavery of the machine, the future of the world depends." That profound quote from Oscar Wilde leading off the robot section tells you that this is not simply another stylish, colour- drenched coffee table collector's book, but one which marries brief text and evocative photos to cast its subject in a new light. "This book celebrates the design, novelty and colour of these highly fascinating toys," the authors write, exactly the same elements that readers and collectors find so fascinating.

In 225 pages, they present hundreds of colour photos of rare and iconic robots and space toys, along with brief informative blurbs. A rare feature is a listing of manufacturers' marks, both fascinating and helpful in identifying toys. Another rarity is the many photos of original boxes, along with numerous colour and style variants. Amazon suggests you buy this book along with Blast Off! I'd make the same suggestion. Blast Off! has lots of reading, unusual in a collector's book, while the stunning photography and layout lift this British book well above the ordinary.

I have to agree with the comments made by the author himself, both " ...informative & visually stimulating ...". If that was what he set out to achieve by writing this excellent book, then he has surpassed it. Superb colour pictures of the type of tin robots & space toys we all played with in our younger days brought the memories flooding back. For collectors of this type of toy, this has to be a classic. Clear photography, excellent description of each toy, rare items and original boxes and a desirability guide. A must for both new & experienced collectors alike !

Altho I'm not a Space Toy collector, this will be on my shelf just for the quality and quantity of the fantastic vintage graphic images of the toys and their boxes.

For the Space Toy afficianado, this has the best, large scale, clearest photos I've seen. Thee is brief, but concise information on each toy that includes the size, maker, year, country, desirability, & description. There are several pages of trademark logos. It's a real trip down memory lane and should serve as one of the top ranked refrence books out there.

The authors have done a superb job in presenting a classic piece of collectible reference. The book is filled to the bubble with all the greats and done with taste and care. One of the nice sections is a complete listing of toy manufacturers trademarks. No effort was made to price the robots and space toys, which I'm gratefully thankful for, since any attempt would certainly have dated the work. As a collector this will be one of my future guides as I pursue what has become a rewarding if albeit expensive pastime! Bravo...and my compliments. To all others the least bit interested...get this book!

. . .is what one reviewer said when this book was first published. It's a claim which is hard to dispute. The hard core scientist might not appreciate it's "coffee table" book format -- but heck, the book wasn't written for such a person in the first place!

Filled with readable and comprehendable text and citations ranging from Thorton Wilder's "Our Town" to St. Julian's "Revelations of Divine Love", this book will prompt even the most unscientific mind to gaze at the sky with new wonder.

But beyond the layout, beyond the scientific information, beyond the citations, the book is best described by its absolutely stunning deep-sky photography. It is mind-boggling to me how someone could look at the night sky and question the existence of God.

"He who made the Plei'ades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning,and darkens the day into night,who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name" -- from the book of Amos the Prophet

I read this book maybe 20 years ago as a little kid, and I still think about it. It really stimulated a lifelong interest in astronomy and cosmology. If you aren't schooled in astronomy I think it will open your eyes and present to you a view of the universe that will change the way you look at things forever. If I could find more copies of this book, and it were cheaper, I would hand it out like candy to the numerous people unschooled in astronomy I've met in the last 20 years, who, I am sure this book would greatly enrich.

The strength of this book is its photographs from various observatories around the world. I have not--in 20 years of looking, found a collection of astrophotographs that comes close. They are inspiring! Other manmade illustrations in the book vividly illustrate just where we are in the universe. Mr. Ferris also does an admirable job taking you by the hand and poetically explaining what is really out there when you gaze into the night sky. You will be amazed by what you don't now know.

If you can get a copy, get it, read it, enrich yourself, show it to your kids, and don't let it go.

Heaven's net casts wide.
Though its meshes are coarse, nothing slips through.
-- Lao Tzu

If ever there was a physical manifestation of poetry, the starry sky at night, the panoply of objects that populate the heavens, would come close. The character of Dr. Arroway in Carl Sagan's Contact exclaims, upon seeing the glorious objects of the universe up close during her epic flight, 'Poetry! They should have sent a poet!'

This book, Galaxies, is a book on a grand scale, as is its subject. It is a lavishly illustrated coffee-table book the size of a small coffee table, the pages measure 13 inches by 15 inches, a huge footprint of a book, with most of the photographs and diagrams sized full-page.

Timothy Ferris, at the time of this book was first published, was a professor of English at Brooklyn College CUNY. He has since gone on to fame as a science writer, particularly in the field of astronomy, and now teaches astronomy and science writing on the other coast, at UC Berkeley. Largely due to clear writing, diligent research that is thorough, and a good eye for visuals (astronomy is a visual science in many ways, and Ferris selected the photographs for this book himself) Ferris has put together a tremendous introduction to the subject of galaxies, impressing with the scale of the book the tremendous size and scale of galaxies.

Being an English professor, he of course had a wide knowledge of literature, and this is apparent from his choice of side notes, quotes and references, which populate not only the captions and taglines, but interpermeate the text on a regular basis. Here in the midst of scientific discussion one will find quotes from Shakespeare, Thornton Wilder, St. Juliana, Heraclitus, Ben Jonson, and more.

The first section deals with the basic definitions of what a galaxy is, the discovery of galaxies, and our place (and their place) in the cosmos. From here, Ferris takes us on a brief tour of the galaxy from the inside, using of course our own Milky Way galaxy, the only galaxy we can know from the inside. By looking at the constituent elements of a galaxy--stars, nebulae, star clusters, supernovae and black holes--Ferris introduces us to the life cycle of stars and some of the dynamics of galactic formation and evolution. Some of the more stunning photographs of this book are in this section, particularly the nebulae (gaseous formations that represent both the beginning and the end of life cycles of stars).

From a tour of our own galaxy, Ferris proceeds to the Local Group of Galaxies, and begins a discussion of the different kinds of galaxies. Our own, the Milky Way, is a fairly large spiral galaxy. This is not the most common type, however, nor the most rare. Our galaxy has attendant galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (named so because they are only visible from the Southern Hemisphere; named in honour of a European explorer who trekked down there), which are mostly blobs of stars, with no formal structure as a spiral would have. The nearest spiral is the Andromeda, part of the local pair (most spirals come in pairs). Andromeda also has smaller, blob-like satellite galaxies, with a smaller proto-spiral (M33) not far off.

In the next section, Ferris examines the types of galaxies which populate the Local Group, the Local Supergroup, and other groupings of galaxies. These include elliptical galaxies, spiral galaxies, barred spiral galaxies, and lenticular (or SO) galaxies. Ellipticals often appear as blobs, sometimes with halos, and no intricate structures. Spirals can be more of less tightly 'wound', arms around a nucleus with a bulge. Barred spirals are more intricate yet, and have a 'bar' or spindle-shaped grouping of stars that extends straight out from the central bulge and nucleus, to which the arms of the spiral seem to be attached. Lenticular galaxies are hardest yet to categorise--they might be ellipticals in a spiral mode, perhaps somehow robbed of their arms. How they evolved is a mystery. Beyond this, there are yet other irregular galaxies, which are often the results of galactic collisions and gravitational interferences.

Some galaxies seem to have violent events occurring, gaseous jets or lots of light and radio activity which speaks of harsh activity. Vast energy spikes and marred appearances give an interesting flavour to astronomical research. Often these happen from interactive galaxies, in which they are playing off each other, or indeed, as some will swallow up others.

Ferris continues his outward rush to the very limits of the universe, until we encounter quasars, the largest of large groupings of superclusters, and a brief discussion of the geometries and nature of space and time. The expansion of the universe, and possible futures (infinite expansion or ultimate collapse, or somewhere in between?) are discussed, as well as paradoxes which might arise in a collapsing universe.

Photographic plates are shown throughout in colour, in black and white, in negative, and in grid-overlays. There is a wide variety, showing the variety of ways in which astronomical objects are examined. This is a fabulous book. Rush to get it.

What we have learned
Is like a handful of earth;
What we have yet to learn
Is like the whole world.
-- Avvaiyar

This is a wonderful book if you can find it. The photographs are spectacular--for example, a two-page spread of the Hercules cluster in which every one of the hundreds of objects in the photo is a discrete galaxy.

This is a must-have for every astronomy buff. It makes a great coffee-table book as well.

You are never going to sing the song, "I've Been Working On The Railroad" quite the same again after reading this air hammer of a book. The milieu of the Fifties and the pressure to conform is as stifling as a 102 degree summer day standing on the rail lines with your pick and shovel in Central Ohio. You can sense the pressure, feel the heat and the limestone dust seeps in and stuffs up your nostrils and clogs your lungs. What this boy goes through and what happens to him still wakes me up sweating in the night. Best of all, it's Part I of a four part novel... I can't wait to get the rest of this series!

Excellent! In the song, Gandy Dancer's Ball, you'd think a gandy (railroad section hand) would get to dance. This one missed the ball all around and I won't reveal the big surprise ending...The story is absolutely masterfully handled.

Before Elvis and Rock and Roll and Marlon and James Dean the Fifties "Happy Days" were pure teen hell, and some of us expatriates were around to notice. Damn, this 44288 guy got it down; you feel like you're there, or back there, and you just want to come up to suck real air. It's a wonder anybody survived and more of a miracle anybody managed to grow up. Kudos to 44288, I really would have liked to have met the man. And kudos to Perry Aayr for rescuing this treasure from certain destruction. National Book Award class. I look forward eagerly to the rest of the Some Die Mad series: Gandy; Auschwitz, Ohio; The Place To Wait; Islands In Time. Get in at the beginning on a sure international winner.

Gandy Dancing is a super book. As lead volume in a four book series called Some Die Mad, it just couldn't be better. It has got the ten scene of the Fifties DOWN, baby. Why you can just feel all the pressures of conformist youthful hell before the explosions of Elvis, Jimmy Dean, Marlon Brando and the tumultuous Sixties. Perry Aayr's presentation of 44288's work does this world a service. I've also read Auschwitz, Ohio, which is Part II of Some Die Mad and the implosion of this man, this time and this era is like you're standing in a pressure cooker with the lid closed and the heat turned on high. Believe you me, this baby is going places and I can see there's a big bang cooking up in the real near future...

Novels about Hitler lay themselves open to the charge of humanizing a monster. Yet when I finished Geli, I felt even more distaste for the man than when I had started.

I had thus far cauterized the evil that infested my history book by imagining an abstract, inhuman machine. S. Chesterfield gives flesh and blood to that lie by chillingly illustrating how a human intent on a master plan would stop nothing - not even in his private life - to achieve it.

This intimate portrayal of Hitler reminds us - lest we forget, especially in the age of Osama - of how men who were once considered ordinary can subsequently commit unspeakable evil.

This book, altough based upon fact, reeks of suspense. It tells the story, not often done, of Hitler's early years. Dealing with the troubles he had setting up the mechanism which would make him, for a short time, dictator and conqueror of nearly half the world. It tells the true story of Angela, "Geli" for short -- Hitler's half-niece -- and her suicide, or was it a covered up murder? And why? It covers such interesting character bits as where did the ogre, Hitler, spend his Christmas Eves. A clever device is the fictional character, from World War One, Sergeant Strobel, who makes appearances from time to time as Hitler's debating conscience, and in the end deserts him as his character deteriorates. Included, also, is the true story of Hitler's vengeance, shortly after his election, upon those whom he considered enemies, a story of horror and mass execution. And, remember Hitler was elected by the German people. (Hitler was an Austrian citizen until a minor political appointment gave him German citizenship long after his joining the Nazi party.) There are excellent character delineations of Hitler's mob. The book features a unique ending to Hitler's life never before discussed, but of highly paractical circumstance.

Hitler is universally viewed as a monster, and the evidence of his evil has been both well documented and analyzed. The majority of this evidence largely involves his acts of cruelty and brutality against those with whom he had no relationship. In this excellent book the author adds another aspect of Hitler's persona, namely, what he was capable of doing to those he supposedly cared for. By presenting this more personal aspect of Hitler's inhumanity, the author adds a new, fresh and disturbing dimension to our understanding of Hitler.

I could not put this book down. Mr. Chesterfield has taken an old topic and revitalized it. Hitler's character is abhorently fascinating and just when you think you have read enough to understand the person along comes a new perspective worthy of further exploration. This book makes for a great read and even better dinner conversation. Bravo!

ISBN 0595207146, Title: Geneva's Hope, Pages: 387, Author: Payton Lee, Genre: Historical, Main Characters: Kerry McGillinen and Braden Wessex. Also the entire McGillinen Family including the Shoshone camp. Overall Quality: My favorite type of reading. Plenty of Humor, action, romance, good dialog and solid characters with unique plot. Story Plot: Kerry meets Braden Wessex and English Lord and his son, Bennett. It's love at first sight for Bennett and then his father Braden, a widower. A jealous suitor and governess do everything in this story to control their destiny, but a shaman Shoshone prophet had foretold this future and good wins over evil. Especially when three brothers unite to keep Braden straight and protect their sister. They go from New York, to Ely to Great Britain, back to Ely. The Action never stops.
What I liked: I like it when Native people are portrayed as they really are, not hollywood stereo types. I like the hook, action, and plot. What I didn't like: I liked everything. When I finished her book I wanted to buy more. This book made me feel like I was right there with Kerry.

The characters become part of your family early in the book. The book contains as many twists and turns in the plot as the number of cities Kerry McGillinen and Braden Wessex find themselves in. The book portrays the late West and the people that lived there. The story contains philosophy of the Shoshone tribe. With the drama there are plenty of laughs. It is a book that is a real page turner.

I loved this book so much - I couldn't put it down once I stared reading. It has breathtaking romance, adventure and endearing characters that I fell in love with.

I just hope that the author doesn't keep me waiting too long for the sequel!

The McGillinen family is wonderful! This book is funny, warm, romantic with plenty of adventure and face paced action. Braden loses his heart to Kerry who is as kind as she is beautiful. His son Benett, by his first marrige, is adorable. Kerry's protective big brothers are funny and tender as they hover over her not too sure about the 'Brit' who has stolen her heart. The villian is wonderful and it's a laugh a minute when he gets what's due him. A must read...I couldn't put it down!

I loved this novel from the first page to the last. It has so many elements; love, action, hate, Indian lore, and mystery. The author did a great deal of research. Although a time-travel, each action seemed real and heart warming. Hope he writes many more.

Wow! This story of mystery, hope and love was engaging from the beginning to the end. A really great find. Original and well-written.

The Ghost of Little Fawn held me spellbound. Not only was it a classic western, but it also included mystery, drama, romance, time travel, and so much more. A very entertaining book and I am anxiously awaiting the author's next one! Bob Kody is a winner!

The Ghost of Little Fawn is exciting reading. The author must have done a great deal of research on several Indian tribes. The story covers several genres and is well put together. It is what I call a page turner. Buck Davis encounters, ghosts, and learns Indian lore while tracking down a serial killer. The ending is delightful. I hope Bob Kody writes more books.

Very good book! I think Bonnie did an excellent job with this one. I love it when the girls go to the Bar None because it's a completely different story each and every time. This is my favorite one that takes place at the Bar None. It's a little disapointing when Steve ruins Lisa and John's moment--but it made me laugh for about 5 minutes--I thought it was great!
I highly recomend this book to Saddle Club readers--especially if they love ghosts and Halloween--like me! :-)

It was really good but I still don't get what really happened. I mean I know it was a ghost. But I don't beliave in ghosts!

This book was so good! It was great how Stevie and the others made Halloween fun for the children. I also thought the story of the stallion was good. I was a little disappointed that Stevie accidentally ruined John and Lisa's moment, though.

The Saddle Club go to the Bar Just so they can Help Kates Mum plan a Halloween Party. Then kate tells them about this Magnifasent Whiteish grey stallion that she wants to adopt. A ranch Hand called john tells Them a storie that warns them to keep their distence. Then funny encounters with the stallionHelp them Change There Minds. I thought that this is A great Magical storie. A Must Read!!!

I think I read about your book in Essence or saw it on Oprah, can't remember, but I am so glad that I did. It has helped me start a book club with a few friends that enjoy reading, but also just enjoy the company of other african-american women. It's a great way to get away from the husband and kids and bond with your friends. One thing that we are going to add to our club is a community kitchen, we will be cooking with one another also.

Great book!

This book is just what I needed to start a book club in my area. I have not quite read all about the different authors. Telling us from start to finish is the best outline I have ever read in starting a project like this one. Thanks so much for sharing a book like this for African American women.I will keep you in touch about the one I am going to attempt to start here in Columbia ,Tn.

Where else can you find: 1. The history of African American reading groups in America 2. The history of African American literature genres 3. The history of the only African American national reading group network

4. Previews of the works and interviews of national best-selling, award winning authors

This is a goldmine of information!!!!

This book is more than just a guide to starting your own book club. It includes lots of excerpts from wonderful fiction that the Go On Girls members have read--folks like Tina McElroy Ansa and Octavia Butler, April Sinclair, Valerie Wilson Wesley, Diane McKinney Whetstone, Walter Mosely--a lot of great Black writers, plus Q&As with each one, and a reading guide. It was more than I expected, a delight overall.