Movies Books

The novelisation of the big 1989 movie. It also includes a photo section in the middle, as lots of those sort of books of the time did. It is competently handled, even asking "Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?"

Batman faces off with Jack Napier as he becomes the Joker, and discovers the links to his past. He also has to deal with the prying of Vicki Vale.

Accompanying the release of the 1989 smash hit, Tim Burton movie Batman, Dove Books on Tape released this audio book. Acclaimed author Craig Shaw Gardner took the screenplay for the movie, and did an excellent job of reorganizing the story for audio. Making the project complete, veteran actor Roddy McDowall provided the voice, doing an excellent job of playing the roles of the maniacal Joker, the sultry Vicky Vale, and the serious Batman.

Overall, I found this to be an excellent audio book. The story is quite close to the original movie, and Roddy McDowall pulls off a real coup, doing all three major characters in a believable and interesting way. Indeed, I highly recommend his performance as the Joker to everyone.

I loved this audio book, and highly recommend it to everyone. This is a prized part of my library, and my only regret is that I cannot now get it on CD!

Batman Is one of America's Favorite Superhero. This Book is very good. There is a lot of action and suspense in this book. Criag Shaw Gardner did an exceilent job on this book




if you liked this on then read batman Returns, Batman Forever & Batman & Robin

It's strange. You'd never guess that a book based on a screenplay could be any good, but you'd be wrong in this case.

Craig Shaw Gardner, my favorite movie-tie-in author, wrote this book, taking a good screenplay and turning it into a truly masterful, exciting, and touching book!

To start off with, the book has whole sections that were cut from the film, giving it more depth and character development. Hmmm.... character development.... there's a whole lot of it. The book truly gets inside the head of everyone, Batman, The Joker, Alexander Knox, Commisioner Gordon, and even Vicki Vale, and all have varied outlooks on the book's events. The Joker sees everything as hilarious, and twisted, Vicki's stressful situations are more developed, Knox is detailed as a hard-boiled reporter (Moreso then the film), Commisioner Gordon is very interesting, in the fact that he likes Batman, but is sworn to his duty to arrest the vigilante, and he's very dedicated and tough, and Batman/Bruce is incredibly written. The writing for Batman's mind is at it's best toward the end, when Batman tries to get up into the Cathedral, while trying not to faint from the wounds he got by crashing the Batwing, and he fades in and out of reality as he remembers the night he lost his parents.

I mean, the film is excellent, but the book is not to be missed. It's deep, profound, moving, and truly exciting in the way Gardner writes fight scenes. Fast and furious, but also surprisingly detailed. I've read this thing so many times that the pages are starting to fall out, and I am continually surprised at the quality of the book. A truly enjoyable read from start to finish.

If you're a fan in the least, you'll pick up this wonderful book!

It would be called the "Smart Thinking" song, because that's exactly what into putting together something like this. This book combines seven "Bear in the Big Blue House" titles into a single hardback book. Some are based on episodes of the television show, others are original stories.

There are seven stories in this one: "Best Friends," "Mystery at the Big Blue House," "The Big Blue House Call," "A Surprise in the Mailbox," "Two Can Share, Too," "Spring Has Sprung!" and "The Way I Feel Today." I can't fault these choices --- they're all wonderful selections from the library of books from the series. The only change made is that the pages are renumbered so that a single table of contents for the entire book is used --- a quick reference to find the place of each story.

I'm glad to have this book -- in hardcover it's more sturdy than the paperback single versions. Most of the illustrations are the photos of the characters with the props and sets drawn in, but two stories are only drawn, even the characters. I much prefer the photo style, but I expect this won't matter to everyone. (My preference would be for all-photo, as if it were the TV program, but they don't seem to do that except for some cover art.)

The stories and illustrations in this book are sure to delight those, both young and old, who love "Bear In The Big Blue House". All the favourite characters come to life when my nephew and his wife read the stories to their two littlies.

My 2 year old loves Bear and loves this book. The language is age appropriate and still manages to put a "big" word in here and there. The artwork is lovely and the stories are episodes of Bear. We usually read two per night, I have to limit him.

I highly recommend this to all Bear-Fans!

Richard Buller's knowledge seems to have no bounds. With clarity and confidence, the author presents key moments in the life of Lois Moran. He also spends a third of the book exploring her relationship with F. Scott Fitzgerald. Buller had a vast amount of information at his disposal: Moran's journal and autobiographical notes, her son Tim, and Moran herself. Plus, he researched numerous books and contemporary newspaper articles. Intimidated? Don't be. Buller pulls all the pieces of the puzzle together for us, in a seemingly effortless flow of historical events. Don't know the works of Moran or Fitzgerald? Buller provides clear summaries. Then, he takes us to the next level by analyzing how Moran influenced Fitzgerald. In addition, the book provides many pictures with helpful captions. Even if you've never heard of Lois Moran, this is a "must have" for anyone interested in F. Scott Fitzgerald, movies, or the Jazz age.

I suppose I first encountered Lois Moran as most people did, via Scott Fitzgerald's portrayal of her as Rosemary Hoyt, the ingenue in his tragic 1934 romance TENDER IS THE NIGHT. Since Arthur Mizener identified Lois Moran as Rosemary's "original" in his 1950s biography of Fitzgerald THE FAR SIDE OF PARADISE, her name once again became recognizable, and we began to think of her as a silent film star who must have beeen cute, but surely without talent otherwise wouldn't her performances have survived? Now Richard Buller steps forward with this biography of the actress herself, both in and out of her relationship with the great novelist, and his book shows us that she's perhaps even more interesting when considered as an actress alone, and not just a Lolita-like playtoy.

Buller explores the bond between Gladys (Lois Moran's mother) and her daughter, and rebuts the myth that Gladys was a conventional stage mother who disliked her daughter's interest in married men. Gladys is worthy of a book all of her own! She took Lois from their settled life in Pittsburgh and brought her to Paris as a teen to escape the repressive US climate of the day, and to show her daughter life in big beautiful capital letters.

Stardom in the movies was only a sort of lagniappe to Lois, who abandoned Hollywood when she married in 1935. And she was signally a free-lance player, one who evaded the contractual obligations of any one studio (except for a brief and not too happy contract with Fox). That may have precipitated her withdrawal from cultural memory, however, for I think in the classical cinemaa the studio really built their stars up, and the ones who played it free-lance aren't as well remembered today. (We know Clark Gable, for example, better than we know, say, Irene Dunne.)

Buller has uncovered three short stories that Lois Moran wrote about Scott Fitzgerald, it's a shame that his publishers couldn't have authorized their publication in an appendix, for the excerpts he quotes are fascinating. Just as tantalizing are his descriptions of some of Moran's movies. I for one am going to go on a hunger strike until Turner Classic Movies schedules a showing of WEST OF BROADWAY with John Gilbert--the ultimate "bad luck" movie from Buller's description.

Lois Moran went to Broadway and starred in two Gershwin musicals (OF THEE I SING and LET 'EM EAT CAKE), then married an industrialist who ran Pan Am, Clarence Young. In the Youngs' luxury apartment here in SF's North Beach, on Vallejo Street, they hosted a secret wartime conference with FDR, Lindbergh, and other luminaries. I'm going to go there later today and try to talk my way into the graces of the current owners of the building and photograph the room where it all took place. After Clarence and Gladys died, Moran's later struggles with alcohol make for sad reading. What a story! And what a woman!

Lois Moran's life and body of work, so carefully portrayed by Richard Buller, are a living tribute to the wonderment of Lois Moran, the person. Here is a portrait of some eighty years of giving without reservation to the people of this planet.

The author's insightful and diligent research, coupled with some memorable findings in her journals, papers and photographs, have made this book a true and masterfully constructed literary achievement.

I had never heard of Lois Moran - now I am a fan! Richard Buller's fascinating account of this remarkable woman is brilliantly researched and beautifully written. Why more has not been made of this shining Hollywood star is a curious mystery. Happily, Mr. Buller fills us in with style. He describes the era adroitly and offers surprisingly intimate historical nuggets, sly humor, and a deep poignancy that moved this reader to tears. I felt as if I were walking with Lois every step of the way. Like meeting an old friend for the first time. Her gleeful, almost childlike kinship with life attracted sparkling people and events; yet her "grown-up" values guided her to always hone her gifts and to help others. A unique example that despite our heartaches, we can indeed create a "beautiful fairy tale" of our lives. A delightful, revelatory read. Inspiring.

This adaptation from the original screenplay of Bella was excellent. I actually like the detail in the book better than the movie...it explained much more and the ending much clearer.

I am a big fan of Lisa Samson's novels and I feel that she did a great job of capture the essence of the screenplay, yet adding her own touch to it.

Even if you watch the DVD, you should read the book. In fact, I feel you should read the book first then watch the DVD.
This is a book that will make you think and affect your life.

"Bella" was one of last year's indie film surprises, winning over audiences with its warmth, emotion, and deceptively simple snapshots of family, pregnancy, grief, and redemption. My wife and I loved the movie, shared it with our teen daughters, and told others about it.

When I heard the movie was being turned into a short novel, I was skeptical. Would it capture the same feelings conveyed in the actors' faces and in the beautiful script? When I heard Lisa Samson was the one doing the novelization, my worries were laid to rest. This lady can write--and she writes from the heart.

"Bella" is a wonderful book, bringing back to mind all the nuances of the film, while providing deeper backstory and motivation. With turns of a phrase, Samson adds new dimension to an already touching story. This can be read before seeing the film or after. Either way, it's sure to be enjoyed by those who like the romance of life in the midst of all its messiness.

In New York, Jose was once a famous Mexican soccer player, but since the tragic accident four years ago he is not the same person. His career and his social life died along with another person, whom he visits at the cemetery all the time. That is when he is not cooking at older brother Robert's restaurant El Callejon.

Nina is a waitress at the restaurant. She and the boy next door law school student Ryan exchanged emails that led to drinks and action; now one week after a lonely twenty-fifth birthday, she spends time throwing up. Her life besides being pregnant is cheap videos and cheaper take-out.

Nina plans to get rid of the baby; Jose wants to help her anyway he can except support an abortion. Can these two lost souls help each other; Jose is determined that this is God's test of him while Nina remains in denial except for morning sickness.

This is a well written novelization of the 2007 film. The story line is an entertaining contemporary drama starring two wounded warriors struggling with life. The support cast is powerful as the audience obtains a close look at a Mexican-American family. Fans of inspirational tales will appreciate BELLA as each of the lead couple sees the unborn in a different light; redemption or damnation.

Harriet Klausner

Jose, a famous soccer player, has been burned. At the peak of his career, a tragic accident has left him with deep scars. But this tragedy has also brought him back to God. Now a recluse, he battles his demons and works in his brother's store as a cook

Soon an opportunity to partially right the wrongs he has committed is presented to him-and Jose must decide to seize it. Nina cannot believe that she has been careless enough to get pregnant without being married. A waitress at the same restaurant that Jose cooks at, she turns to him for help. Can Jose convince her to do the right thing?

Bella is a beautiful story of love and hope and about finding beauty in the ashes of sorrow. It follows the lives of two broken souls. I really enjoyed this novelization. I especially enjoyed the characterization of Jose's family - a true Mexican family, with the family dinners, and the laughs.

At times it is a struggle to keep track of the names and dates, particularly when more than one person has the same name. Ample footnotes help guide the reader. More than a novel, this book is a historical depiction of important and relevant events.

Armchair Interviews says: Lisa Samson has done a wonderful job in writing this touching novel

This book came from a great seller. the book cam in great condition and the s hipping was fast and easy...thank you

May is American Studies Prof. at U. of MN,& wrote: "Screening Out-the-Past" He dislikes Bob Hope-Bing Crosby's.."mindless' Road pictures,also Ronald Reagan,(head, Screen Actors Guild)for stifling emerging "left-wing",independent producers,& all those who were not 100% anti-communist. Hopefully, he'll prove his points by updating with coverage of post 60's Hollywood....

This book is a well researched account of Hollywood during the Depression, World War II and at the beginning of the Cold War. It is a must for everyone interested in the history of Hollywood.

"The Big Tomorrow" depicts Hollywood as a 'populist and progressive world that offered a vision of an egalitarian and humanitarian world in film' before the 1950s. The author demonstrates this on the example of actor Will Rogers, a Cherokee Indian, director Frank Capra, and others. May shows that not only film content had changed but the theatres as well. The central themes were gangsters, fallen women and ribald comics while the language and dialects of the folk were used. The theatres underwent a change from lavish, sumptuous ones, where seating was divided between the high-paying and low-paying, to democratic movie houses. The author uses several photographs to illustrate the changes. Inside Hollywood actors, directors etc. formed unions that supported New Deal reforms. The second part of the book explains why World War II and the Cold War reshaped politics and moviemaking in Hollywood. May discusses censorship and the role of CIA agents in Hollywood. Films presented a 'new' woman now. Female characters focused ultimately on a home life that preserved traditional gender roles, symbolized in the rise of 'patriotic domesticity' while during the Depression female characters of 'empowered women' fulfilled themselves. May also points out the change in the portrayal of African Americans and Asians. The rise of anti-communism and its effects are dealt with. Those who wouldn't or couldn't prove their belonging to the communists were suspended. However, they found a new market for a dark 'film noir' that challenged the consensus and set the stage for a youthful counterculture in the 1950s and 1960s.

This is one of those books that is difficult to over praise. Over and over while reading this book, May helped me gain new insight into aspects of Hollywood cinema from the thirties, forties, and fifties, and continually suggested to me new areas of research to undertake. In the long run, I believe that his book is going to have a profound effect on the way that I view movies from those decades.

Before I move on to the considerable praise I want to heap on this book, let me dwell briefly on a couple of negatives. I think this book has a much broader appeal than the author might believe. The book takes an essentially popular subject, and couches it in an overly academic style. As someone with a strong graduate school background (albeit in philosopher rather than cultural studies), I managed to always make sense of his argument, but sometimes only with difficulty. There was also a too-heavy reliance on statistical data for my taste. Clearly he feels that the data gives greater force to and to a degree validates many of his arguments. But I feel that it also caused the book to drag at points.

But overall, this book is a stunner. The thesis of the book is a complex one, and any attempt to state it briefly will distort it to a degree. I will try to minimize my distortion. May begins by arguing that there was a radical shift in social and political outlook in Hollywood in the 1940s. The effort in Hollywood to eliminate political dissent and to promulgate a monolithic vision of America is well known. May argues that this was a break with the legacy of the thirties, in which the Hollywood talking film had developed as a mode of expressing an egalitarian, anticapitalist, and multicultural affirmation of the New Deal. Thirties films were highly critical of big business, with representatives of big business frequently appearing as villains in films. As America entered WW II, however, and began to unify in order to oppose first Hitler and Japan and then the Red Menace, movies reflected a different order, which was nonegalitarian, pro-big business (with big business disappearing as a villain in films), and nondissenting.

May attempts to tell this story in several ways. His brilliant first chapter dwells at length on the movie career of Will Rogers, who articulated a vision of America that varied greatly from the Anglo-Saxon dream that looked to Europe for models of success and social ordering. As May quotes on several occasions, in response to the New England social elite, Rogers, who identified with his Cherokee heritage, wrote, "My ancestors didn't come over on the Mayflower--they met the boat." The second chapter of the book continues this to display many example of multicultural republicanism that permeated 1930s filmmaking. He then proceeds, in perhaps my favorite chapter in the book, to demonstrate how this egalitarian vision of America profoundly influenced American movie theater design. Rejecting the theater palaces that dominated 1920s theater design and which represented an affirmation of the social layering of the European model--with different prices of admission for various areas and separate entrances--American designers moved to a conception where all viewers paid a uniform price and seating was not restricted, with all viewers entering through the same entrance.

The second half of the book deals with the undermining of the egalitarianism of the thirties by a new vision of Americanism in the forties. The first of two chapters devoted to this displays this by articulating the vision of a white consumer culture, where individuals look for freedom in a private realm emphasizing family and material comfort. The second chapter deals with the politics in Hollywood to help eliminate all those who dissented from this vision or who had a political history that did not conform to this vision. These were painful chapters to read, with the ruthless suppression of political dissent. May deals in some degree with the history of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), which in the 1930s strongly affirmed the ideals of the New Deal and egalitarian ideals. In particular, the career of the first appointed president of the SAG (in the 1930s, the president of the SAG was elected by the membership), Ronald Reagan (i.e., he was not elected by the membership at all) is dealt with at length. May ends his book with a discussion of film noir and its attempt to express dissent from the accepted and sanctioned cultural norm.

Anyone interested in cultural studies, the political climate and culture of the US in the thirties and forties, or the history of Hollywood should read this book. Easily one of the more compelling books I have read on film in the past two or three years.

Poor Blue but he has a happy ending. My daughter loves Blue

I liked this book because of how it was just like on of the TV episodes. Like how they try to interact with you. Having you look for certian things on the page i thought it was really cute.

And she's been under the weather for a few days. She definitely is rather miserable and her friends in the Blue's Clues house have missed playing with her. They decide to try to help her out.

They have a lot of great ideas as to how they can help Blue. Shovel and Pail decide to give her a pretend checkup. it doesn't help cure her cold, but it's fun. Other idaes include hot soup and reading a story. With all this help, Blue actually starts to feel better.

The events of this story resemble the TV episode "Steve Has the Sniffles," except in this story, it's Blue that is sick. Either way, this is a wonderful and identifiable "Blue's Clues" story. This is book #9 in the "Blue's Clues" series.

My son *loves* this book!

Steve wants to see if Blue would like to come out and play, but Blue is still feeling under the weather. Nurse Shovel and Dr. Pail open up their pretend doctor bag, but they soon realize that this isn't going to help Blue feel better.

Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper get in on the action by offering to make Blue chicken soup. This story is interactive in that the child is asked to interpret the recipe card, point out what ingredients are needed, find the biggest bowl on the page, locate the orange cup, etc.

This is a brief book, but long enough to satisfy a child's desire for a bedtime story (without wearing Mom or Dad out!), as well as providing learning opportunities as Steve and the gang try to help Blue feel better.

I was given a copy of this book by a friend, because i'm always nagging her about omens and synchronicity. I wasn't sure about the whole movie star angle at first, but as I started to read I found i could relate, to everything in this book and see the parallels in my own life. Forget about Harry Potter, real magic is right here in our daily lives and it doesn't take much training to start to see it... Great book! Also the DVD that came with the book is great fun, witches in New Orleans, more of a fantasy, than the book, but it was totaly fresh, better than the Craft or Practical Magic. (naughtier too)

If you are pursuing dreams in your life, this book is for you!

I found this book to be an excellent and refreshing read. The Hollywood stigma is that you either survive or die, and Jacobs definitely supports the theory that you can do-it-yourself. His amazing collection of work and insightful abilities to craft a good story are truly masterful.

READ THIS BOOK. BUY THIS BOOK. DELIGHT IN THIS BOOK.

...

Wow! What a fun read! It's smart, funny, inspiring, a quick read, everything you could expect from a great book! The book includes a special DVD of the author's cult film classic film Lucinda's Spell, starring Jon Jacobs and model Kristina Fulton. The DVD alone is worth the price of addmission, baby!

The book itself is wondrous. The DVD is just the icing on the already marvelous cake? So! Are you getting the impression I liked it? Mr. Jacobs has a new comedy called HEY DJ that's coming out soon. If it's half as good as this book HEY DJ will be the film to watch for this movie season!

The Book Of Omens: The Magical True Adventures Of A Self-Made Movie Star is the amazing autobiography of Jon Jacobs, a British-born actor who followed his own dreams to stardom and who has appeared in (or directed) over two dozen feature films. Jon's marvelous life and his deep belief in omens as signals from the universe itself to guide him to his ultimate destiny, mark this original, attention engaging, and reader enriching narrative. Enhanced with the inclusion of a 105-minute DVD of the movie "Lucinda's Spell", The Book Of Omens is truly exceptional and confidently recommended.

It is amazing how much fun information that the author has packed in this book!

This book is great! It's a perfect book for parties, car trips, etc. There are questions for everyone at all levels of Brady knowledge. It's so much fun watching others in angst as they desperately try to remember the answer to a question, and even more fun watching someone rushing to answer a question when they swear they don't remember much about the show! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Hilarious - I haven't watched the "Brady Bunch" in years, but I was a bit startled by the way it all came back after reading a few questions. Why do I remember this stuff? Why does the author? As absurd as it is, the memories of such a dumb TV show are great fun.

When I got this book I figured I knew every trivia question there was for the Brady's. I was wrong. Where did she come up with this stuff? There is so much detail in this book and it's organized in a way that makes it something you can browse or pass around for trivia questions. I was also impressed with how everything tied back to the episode with all the details from each show. A cool book for any Brady fan.

This book was fun to read, and it was interesting to learn how David Paterson himself was the inspiration for Jess in the book. It's not quite as in-depth as I hoped it would be (it's not even very thick), but if you love the movie it's fun to have.

If you have seen the updated version of "Bridge to Terabithia," then you probably know what a rare, landmark film it really is. Geared for children, yet easy for people of all ages to identify with, it is one of those special stories that sticks with you.

The writing of an appropriate screenplay was possibly the most important element of making this a successful transition from the popular children's book, and nobody was more qualified for the job than David Paterson, the son of the author Katharine Paterson (not to mention the inspiration for the Jess Aarons character).

Not many people know just how much anguish this man has gone through with the true-to-life events of the book and movie, but a somewhat stronger image is painted through this book. Though it is short, it is a nice companion to the film and goes behind the scenes from David's point of view. There is some information about Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb, two gifted young actors who essentially carried the entire film with their dead-on performances in the lead roles. I truly believe that the movie could not have been made nearly as well without them--particularly Josh Hutcherson, whose obvious connection with this character is evident from beginning to end. You hear about actors who have the gift of communicating a message with their eyes and facial expressions, but this young actor really has it down cold. I give him a lot of credit for what he did with this character.

This book also talks a bit about the film's special effects, the cast and crew, and the inevitable challenges that came with putting the movie together. It was not enough to just get the cast and start filming; it was a deliberate process, and with a story as important as Katharine Paterson's, it needed to be done the right way. With David's well-written script--along with the hard work and talents of everyone involved--they managed to get it just right, and it is one of the rare book-to-film cases that does genuine justice to the original author.

All in all, this is a great book to buy if you are (like me) a huge fan of the movie and would like a little something more. It includes a lot of nice pictures, along with some brief quotes from both the book and movie. Throughout it all, though, the prominent voice is from David Paterson himself, who really is the heart and soul of the entire thing. There's one line of his from this book that says it best: "When people meet me today and learn about the connection between my life and Bridge to Terabithia, many times their response is 'Wow. You're the original Jess. That's cool.' They mean it in a positive way, but it's like seeing a scar on somebody and remarking that the scar looks cool. They don't understand the pain that caused it."

Indeed, David's story is bittersweet, and this book is one way to get a little more insight on what this man went through when he lost his own "Leslie Burke"--his best friend. Nothing hits home quite like a film that reflects a true story, and through the tragedy of it all, this memorable story was able to be written. A lot of people have come to know Terabithia and be inspired by its message, and when you think about how beautiful that is, it truly starts to make sense when David Paterson says that "some gifts come in two forms."

I highly recommend this item, as well as the book and movie that made it possible in the first place. Terrific job to Katharine and David Paterson for bringing the story to life, and may it continue to touch people's lives for years to come.

This is a great book to understand the story behind the movie, and the story behind the story as well.

You want to be on the "in" to knowing about all things Terabithia? Well, be sure to get this book. Make sure you have read the book, "Bridge to Terabithia" as talking about events which take place both in the book and in the movie will spoil what happens if one is already not familiar with the book. The pages are filled with photographs, both of filming and behind the scenes. This book is nicely done and was written by David Paterson, the person who wrote the screenplay of the new movie, who is also Katherine Paterson's (the author of "Bridge to Terabithia") son whom the Newberry winner book was partially dedicated to in addition to another person. My one complaint, if I had a complaint, would be that I wish that this book was longer though it is 47 pages long-which is long for a behind the scenes type of book. I throughly enjoyed the book and I am in my early twenties. My niece who is eight, read the book this afternoon and enjoyed it as well. The back of the book says that it is for ages eight and up which I think is appropriate given the sensitive nature of the book that the movie is based on and the fact that they reference events from the book and movie in this companion book. Excellent for those who are awaiting the movie's release!

Mel Odom presents the reader with an action packed Thriller. Angel: Bruja is an excellent addition to the Angel series. The plot is complex. A gang of vampires is running a 'Meals on Wheels' operation. Stolen game software leads Angel and Doyle to an underground dot.com company complete with demon telemarketers. Cordelia tracks a missing wife. Doyle has a brain draining vision of a young mother in trouble. Kate is searching for a weeping woman in black who is killing cops and children. Mr. Odom weaves them all together into an excellent story, which explores guilt and insecurities. Angel is reminded that while you cannot forget your past you should not live in it. It is not only the lesson he must learn but also teach another if he is to succeed. The book also has a strong sense of family.

I recommend this to all fans of the series as well as readers who enjoy good horror fantasy

After the funeral of a young boy a priest is attacked by a woman who confesses to having murdered her own son. Meanwhile, Angel Investigations is hired to look into the disappearance of the wife of a big-shot Hollywood producer, Doyle has a vision of a young mother and her son in danger, and Angel stumbles across some enterprising folk who delivery blood to your door (please specify type desired).

"Bruja" is one of those novels where most of the plot threads come together but not all of them are part of the fun filled climax so you are left guessing which one is going to end up being the only legitimate subplot. This works much better than you might think, because the way Mel Odom ends up putting all the pieces together is never obvious. Consequently, "Bruja" is one of the few Angel stories where Angel Investigations ends up doing some good old fashion investigating even if it means the laconic one has to speak in complete sentences for an extended period of time.

Plotting and pacing are two of Odom's main strengths as a writer, at least as revealed in his "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" original novels. "Bruja" presents a fairly complex plot and the novel moves from scene to scene and plot thread to plot thread without losing momentum. This time around I especially liked how each of the scenes without the main trio (Angel, Cordelia and Doyle) were fleshed out. There are really no nameless corpses in this book, because vampires leave tiny dust mounds behind rather than corpses and Odom take pains to invest each human life lost along the way with some individuality and significance.

Odom also does a nice job with characterization and in this story he manages to work in some significant reflections from each of the main characters on their families without it becoming formulaic, mainly because the self-examinations come in the context of the developing story. However, some readers might consider the amount of dialogue in this novel to be too much given the main character.

There are some pretty horrific moments in this story and I can legitimately say that Odom pushes it as far as he is willing to go simply because there is a scene where he stops short of something that he clearly thinks would have been going over the line. Odom seems to have done some research on his titular villain, which is a way of saying that if he made all of this stuff up from scratch he sure has fooled me. "Bruja" is a solid "Angel" story and while it does not involve moments of epic significance for the soul laden vampire and his compadres, it does tell a tale that has some special meaning for all of the characters.

I loved this book. So much that I read it in one day. These "Angel" novels keep getting better and better. The way all the separate cases came together in this novel was great. Can't wait to read the next. Highly recommend this novel, especially if you're a fan of "Angel".

A priest is attacked in the cellar of a church and suddenly a new horror walks the streets of Los Angeles. Appearing as a beautiful woman, weeping for her children, she is drawn to scenes of conflict. There, equipped with both incredible strength and magical power, she takes lives with impunity. Especially if those victims are children. On the other side of town, Angel is cleaning up a demonic Internet pornography site when he discovers that a group of L.A. vampires are running a fresh blood delivery service complete with people on tap.

Cordelia finds a paying case for Angel Investigations when she is approached by Adrian Heath, a well known TV producer. His wife has disappeared without a trace and he desperately wants help. And finally, Doyle is suddenly struck with a vision of great danger for a mother and her young son. As all these threads come together Angel finds himself constantly reminded of his own guilt over the murder of his family. To resolve this case he must learn how to make peace with himself.

It is characteristic of the writing of the Angel series and many of the Buffy stories that there be many layered plots. The challenge for the author is to keep all these threads moving without losing control of characterization. No doubt it helps that the main characters are well established, but even so the believability of the novel hinges on how well the other characters are developed as well as the successful management of the plot. "Bruja," benefiting from a very fine author, is a classic example of what a good Angel story should be.

Mel Odom, the author of 4 books in the Angel and Buffy series, several in the Shadowrun series and many others has established himself again as a respectable writer of science fiction and fantasy. He has a natural skill with his characters, an ear for dialog and builds his stories almost effortlessly. In "Brujah" as in many others he manages to sustain a complex plot and completely involve the reader. While the book does make reference to previous Buffy and Angel adventures, there is nothing here that would prevent a newcomer from thoroughly enjoying the tale.