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I was drawn in quickly by Lara and the author's certain voice. Conflict comes early and the backstory is braided and seamless. McCarty stays out of the way of this one, managing complex characters and providing trustworthy dialogue from the shadows. The result is pure story. Throughout the pages burned a fire kindled by the electric spark between Lara and Aedan. Long after story's end I lay in the cinders of that fire cursing myself for reading so fast, and grasping for some way to return to that world. Write more, Ms. McCarty, and either wind me in tighter on your string or release me from the spell Cerridwen's Tears cast over me.

This is a rich story filled with interesting characters who leap off the page. McCarty has done a great job writing a fresh vampire story. Her provocative and witty style had me from page one. I cannot wait to see where Lara and Aeden's chemistry takes them. I will buy this book and any others by this author!

Intrigued, I read this excerpt several times and each time I find myself amazed Ms. McCarty's crafted such believable and realistic characters. Lara is a hard working nurse who knows her job. The coffee addiction juat adds another layer of reality we can all relate to. Her angry personality is profound and well thought out; a result of losing her beloved spouse only a few years before. Now, her only true love is her horses.

Into her life, a life where she has become a bit promiscuous to numb her loneliness, comes Aedan, a vampire of the highest order. Suave and sophisticated, well dressed and well heeled, he is facinated by her. Although his early, formal introduction is a bit awkward, as are all formal introductions between strangers, he senses a way to become a friend. A friend that she needs as she tries to end an unsatisfying relationship.

It is Aedan and Lara's mutual love and respect of horses that finally melts the ice, and leaves me begging to find out more about these facinating people. Aedan and Lara are bound to become classics in the pantheon of fictional characters, and I, for one, want to read more and more about them. If Sheryl McCarty were to write twenty more books in this series, I would pre-order them now, because this is a delightful read!

Sheryl McCarty's got me. I love her provocative, yet witty writing style. I can see the setting and she brings her characters to life so vividedly. Lara, independent, fiesty, so seemingly in control; I can't wait to see where she's going with hunky Aedan. How long do I have to wait for more of this captivating work? YOU GO GIRL!

I Loved it! Its fast paced dialog and well developed characters got me from the start. I read the excerpt twice and I could find no reference to a husband who was afraid of vampires, in fact there was no husband at all so I'm not sure where some other reviewers got that part. I loved Lara's snarky attitude and thought it was refreshing to see a female character who's not stumbling over herself where men are concerned. Rock on, Lara, I want to read more!

I was looking for a book like this, one that doesn't go by month to month of what I should expect physically, medically. It's a book that gives you some perspective from personnal short stories. I brought it to read during my "baby moon" and it just made me feel whole-especially mentally. Too bad there isn't a more recent version but, I would buy this as a gift-especially for a first time mother.

I really hate to give any "Chicken Soup" book less than a 5 star because I am a huge fan.

I was slightly disappointed in the content of this book. I really was hoping and expecting that it would have more stories about giving birth. It says on the cover that the 101 stories inspire and warm the hearts of soon-to-be-mothers but I felt like the subjects were too general.

For example, the contents are 1. We're Pregnant, 2. Nine Months and Counting, 3 Expectant Fathers, 4. Challenges along the Way, 5. Special Delivery 6. Small Miracle 7. Memorable moments, 8. On Motherhood, 9. Expectant Wisdom.

I didn't find many birth stories - in fact, I don't think there was even one.

However, in spite of my need for positive birth stories, I still love the stories that they put in the book.

Sheri Menelli, childbirth educator, doula, speaker and author of "[...]"

If you're an expectant mother you will appreciate the stories in this book. They are touching and funny and strike a universal chord that make you realize you're not alone. Five stars! Debbie Farmer, parenting author of 'Don't Put Lipstick on the Cat'

Although I read almost every single publication of Chicken Soup, I must say this is definitely my favourite, especially that we are expecting our third child.

Before reading this book, I must admit I was not sure if we did the right thing to concieve a third child but now I know more than missing to cherish every moment of our pregnancy.

This book has moved every kind of feelings in us from happiness to excitement, to sadness at some times and made me thankful for this beautiful gift from God.

This is a must for every expectant parent.

this book was exactly what i needed to help me love the feeling of being pregnate. during my second pregnancy i wasn't feeling all that hot until my hubby came home with the book. i read this book three times already, even my four year old loves the stories. i cried and laughed and cried some more...read this book if you're looking for something to cheer you up while you're feeling down! An excellent book--I promise!!!!

I wrote my review a second time because I thought I'd done something wrong and you weren't going to post it. Please delete the review dated October 23 and leave the later version. Thank you.

Gardener's Soul is my first read in the Chicken Soup series. Had I an inkling that the series could evoke that cozy-fuzzy feeling, like a purring kitten warming your lap, I would have been reading them all.

Paula Silici's Nona's Garden stands as a fine example. I could smell the beef, garlic and tomatoes simmering in the kitchens of my childhood as I read of the life's lessions learned from her grandmother. I have more hope for the future after reading Beth Pollack's Planting Day,especially considering that such words of wisdom came from a 16-year-old. Good job,young lady! And A Bedside Story by Pat Stone reassured me that I'm not the only gardener who talks to plants.

No wonder the publisher has the name Health Communications. When the mind is calm, the body is better able to heal. This book is a fabulous choice for anyone feeling blue or for just anyone!

A truly good book evokes cozy images and sensations from the past. And this is a very good book, one that teaches us to stop and consider how wisely we spend on this earth.

Among my personal favorites was Nona's Garden by Paul Silici. I could almost smell the delectably heavy garlic, beef and tomatoes slowly steaming in my grandmother's kitchen, and felt a tug on my heartstrings when she shared the story of her grandmother's lessions in life. Planting Day filled me with hope for the younger generation when I saw that sixteen-year-old Beth Pollack had written such an insightful essay. It was good to learn in Pat Stone's A Bedside Story that I'm not the only person who talks to their plants.

There's something for everyone in CS for the Gardener's Soul.

I am a great fan of the Chicken Soup Books. They are a wonderful way for me to start my morning. Being an avid gardener, this one was truely special. Although many of the stories left me teary-eyed, the messages relayed were always positive and uplifting. -- Highly Recommend

This heartwarming, soul-satisfying collection of stories is a beautiful testimony to the special knowledge held dearly by every gardener, regardless of if they are first-timers or veterans. Even the smallest gardens have the ability to uplift our lives with the magical, unique understanding that they are living reminders of the potential beauty of the world.

Sharon Galligar Chance, Times Record News, Wichita Falls, Tx.

A wonderful book. I loved it as a child, and going back to read it as an adult I realize that there are a lot of things that I missed. I remember my teacher reading it aloud in class--wonderful!

The movie, although very nice, has only a superficial resemblance to the book. For one thing, it moves the time a generation or so back. For another, in the book both parents are alive, rather than Caracticus Pott's being a widower; consequently, there is no romance.

I could very well wish that a new movie be made, NOT a musical and following the original plot.

Just like when I was a kid at my moms knee listening to her read this to me I wsa again transported to another time. This audio is great. Kids and adults alike will fall inlove with this audio book. Some what diffrent than the movie staring Dick Van Dyke. which is always a welcome suprise.

I remember the 1968 movie based on this novel fondly, but had never picked up the novel itself until just the other day. I was surprised at how different the book is. Although Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang herself is very similar in both, the plot of the story is much different. I enjoyed this simple little story, with Fleming's humorous asides, very much. Those asides reminded me of the "Series of Unfortunate Events" books I have read and I would be interested in learning if Lemony Snicket drew from Fleming's story style for his own series. This is a fun, quick story that most kids will enjoy. I do, however, fear that the admittedly crude illustrations in my original edition would not be as popular with modern children.

The story of Caractacus Pott, his family, and that wonderful magical car is one of the best children's stories you will ever read. Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, tells a fantastic story about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the magical flying car that can even turn into a boat! It's a delightful story, filled with crooks and gangsters, and you won't be sorry you bought this fantastic little book. Should be added to every child's bookshelf. Just delightful! The book is so much better than the movie, eliminating that silly Vulgaria story. If you want to read the story Ian Fleming intended, you'll have to buy the book. You won't be sorry.

It is a charming and delightful story that you will love to read to your children. I read this book to my 6 year old. She loved it!! We both wish we could find more books about this wonderful family and car.

A Christmas Carol

It was my goal this December to read to my children, ages seven, nine and 14, the Christmas Carol story by Dickens so that they would know the original before seeing the movie. I also thought this would be an accessible way for them to get oriented to English literature and prepare them for further reading.

The requirements of the Christmas Carol book to be purchased were that a) it be new as opposed to a ragged used copy, b) it be unabridged, c) it have good drawings; and d) if possible it be inexpensive. I first looked in the library, but their book was checked out, and anyway I was looking to start a family tradition of reading the story every year with our own copy if possible. The Candlewick Press edition with illustrations by P.J. Lynch appeared to fill the bill; I bought it; and it delivered the goods. The book is nice and readable-sized, the illustrations good, the type pleasing. Thirteen bucks. I was immensely satisfied with the purchase.

As to the fate of the reading, we handled one chapter per evening, there being five chapters; each took an hour or so to read. I found Dickens to be sometimes heavy going for the younger TV and video-generation kids to get a sense of what is going on. I did not recollect Dickens to be so when I read some of his works as a younger person, but apparently it's something you have to be exposed to and get to understand. Anyway I was happy to provide my children with the chance to get started. It gave me a measure of the gap between the reading preparation of today's youth versus my pre-Cambrian elementary and middle school days. On Christmas Day I showed them the George C. Scott version of the movie, and they all liked it. But all knew the basics from the book, which was my goal, even if the mid-1800s prose obscured many of the action points to the younger ones in their Sponge Bob and Hannah Montana mindsets.

So the effort was a success, and this edition of the book did what I had hoped by delivering up an excellent presentation at a very low cost.

Dan of Arlington

If you are looking to purchase a copy of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, then I believe that this would be a excellent choice for you. The book is very well bound and of excellent quality. The illustrations are wonderful and very well detailed. The pages are slightly thicker than normal so you are probably less likely to tear them. If you purchase this book, you will not be disappointed.

I purchased this book as a gift for myself so that I could enjoy this timeless Christmas tale over the holidays. This edition of A Christmas Carol was a wonderful purchase. The illustrations added to the enjoyment of the story and allowed me to visit another time and place while relaxing with this holiday classic.

I would highly recommend this book to young and old alike.

I think we have yet to experience the definitive film version of "A Christmas Carol", but we now have the definitive book version! Masterful illustrations complement the unedited text. Oh, and EVERYONE who purchases this book, PLEASE take off the dust cover and let this one age without it! WONDERFUL cover, perfect!

This book is beautiful! The pictures are amazing and held my children (6 and 4) captive while I read to them. I would recommend reading this story every year at Christmastime as a family.

I bought this book for reference rather than than study use, but it has served its purpose well. First, this book provides decent coverage of Cisco Pixes. Brief overviews are provided of key technical concepts - enough that you can understand what exactly you're configuring. Secondly, the book provides excellent example configurations, even going so far as to step you through basic software setup. (i.e. A step-by-step guide to setting up the integrated PPTP Windows 2000 VPN client, including screenshots). Finally, it provides some of the best coverage of Cisco Pixes that I've found outside of Cisco's website.

There is only one thing I would have liked to see included in this book: A basic configuration example for those who want to use the Cisco Pix as a termination point for Cisco VPN Client connections. For THAT, I had to go hunting for information on Cisco's website. Thus far, this is my only complaint about the book.

I can whole-heartedly recommend this book for anybody who needs a good reference on setting up, configuring, and managing Pix firewalls.

Excellent book, everything you want to know about the Pix. Very thorough, topics are explaned well, in great detail and with good examples. This is the best Pix book on the market that I know of.

I got this book to configure a Cisco Secure ACS with VPN clients, and i reached my goal. And you can get many other topics in a cookbook style. You can read the technical information or only take ideas from examples. Excellent PIX firewall book.

This book well and truly paid for itself after the first couple of chapters. We found a number of areas where our setup was wrong and this book provided a very indepth look at the PIX product and enabled us to fix this easily and quickly. Good book for all users.

If you use PIX, get this book, it has a LOT of great info.

This book is original and thought provoking especially coming from a women with a conservative and traditional Christian past. If more of us Christians could love as Christ loves without judgement or preachiness, it would revolutionize our Church and our ministries. It could, as Kay dreams of, Change The World.

I was skeptical about this book at first. I thought it would be more fluff than substance, but I was thankfully wrong all the way around. This book was both easy and very hard to read. Kay did a great job writing in style that is easily understood, however the words are hard to read in the way they convict you in so many ways.

If your walk with the Lord has grown stagnant or you don't see have passion or drive in your life I strongly recommend you read this book. I think this book is needed for all Americans, as we live out our comfortable safe lives relative to most everybody else in the world.

I promise if you give this book a chance you will not be disappointed and will certainly walk away with more than a few topics to think about.

This is a wonderful book yet also disturbing in a way. It had a big impact on me and challenged me to live with focus on helping those in need. If you have a home, food in the fridge, clothes in a closet like me then you have more than most people. I have to stop whining about my meager problems and consider how can I use what I have to help others. Kay is real about her flaws and struggles. She gives light to the problems of poverty, disease, bad leadership, spiritual emptiness and illiteracy that she personally witnessed around the world. She shares her desire to do good and the struggle it actually takes to leave an area of familiarity and safety to fight the wrongs and injustice so many experience around the world.

Although Kay Warren is an Evangelical Christian and I am a Conservative Rabbi, I found her honest, personal portrait inspiring. Her tale reveals that by listening for and responding to the Divine call to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, she expanded her horizons, deepened as a person, and strengthened her relationship with God.

Kay Warren is an extraordinary woman and should be praised for writing this shocking and enlightening book. She reveals how she became "seriously disturbed" after reading a magazine article in 2002 focusing on the AIDS pandemic. She was stunned and distressed that the article stated there were 12 million AIDS orphans in Africa. The statistics were staggering and horrific! She couldn't understand how this could be happening without her knowledge. She wondered why people weren't doing more to stop this pandemic. After much research on HIV/AIDS, she realized she couldn't sit back and ignore these people.

It took courage and self-sacrifice for this pastor's wife to leave her warm, comfortable California home to journey into the midst of the AIDS pandemic in Africa in 2003, and later to other parts of the world plagued with the AIDS pandemic. Her journey took her to areas where young children and adults were dying each day from this insidious disease. In some way, she felt she had to do something to alleviate their suffering by sharing her love with them. She witnessed the social stigma, rejection, persecution, and shame these people faced daily. It would have been easy to simply forget that this tragedy was a reality. Yet, this special woman realized that she couldn't ignore the call from God to "act up" and reach out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.

While away from home, she discovered that she had breast cancer. Shortly after this battle, she was diagnosed with another form of cancer. This wasn't enough to stop a woman on a mission. She knew her mission in life and had said, "Yes" to God.

This is a brutally honest account of her journey into HIV/AIDS activism. As an AIDS activist myself, I felt so much admiration for Kay Warren. Her activism struck a chord within me. I know how my elderly mother felt when she was battling HIV/AIDS due to a tainted blood transfusion while undergoing heart bypass surgery in 1983. She was one of the first victims of HIV. She kept her illness a secret because she feared rejection. Many of the people Ms. Warren met felt dirty and ashamed of their illness. I know my own mother did even though she was infected through a blood transfusion. It's difficult to imagine that the stigma still exists after 25 years of the AIDS pandemic. Kay Warren teaches us we should not sit idly by while these people suffer in silence. I totally agree with her. Hopefully, others will hear her message and join the fight.

Being the wife of Pastor Rick Warren, of the Saddleback Church in California, she believes that all churches must take an active role in educating people about HIV/AIDS. What a difference this would make.

In "Dangerous Surrender," Ms. Warren teaches us lessons about love, acceptance, courage, compassion and faith. It wasn't always an easy or pleasant experience, but the desire to do the will of God surpassed any hesitancy she might have experienced. I applaud Kay Warren for her generous gift of love and acceptance to those in need of compassion and understanding. This book taught me to say "Yes" to God and not question His ways.

"Dangerous Surrender" was one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. If more people were like Kay Warren this world would be a better place. We all have a choice in life. We can sit and simply watch the pain and evil in the world or we can make a decision to ease the suffering of those in need by surrendering to God's will as Kay Warren did. I highly recommend this outstanding book.

A Burden of Silence: My Mother's Battle with AIDS

This book is a great book for a Akita owner. The author gives you lots of insight into the Akita behavior. Being a Akita owner, I found the book enlightening and a joy to read. This book is a must for any Akita owner or anyone considering a Akita.

I don't own an Akita, but this book caught my eye because it was a different kind of story. The subjects of sexual discrimination, poverty, wartime in Japan, and the Morie's singlemindedness in raising dogs are explored. If you love Akitas, you'll love this book. If you're not a dog person, you'll like this book, but may not go ga-ga over it. I thought the writer jumped around a bit in telling the story, and could have been better with the continuity. But all in all, I recommend this interesting look at a life far different from ours in America.

I bought this book for my brother, who loves dogs as much as I do. When he finished it, he sent it back, so I read it as well, and we both enjoyed it. This is a very sweet book which makes a great gift book for someone who loves dogs, someone who loves Japan and its history, and especially for someone who loves both. I would have liked to see Penguin go the extra mile for Martha Sherrill and spring for glossy pages for the many great photos in the book, but that would be my only criticism.

I had to leave it at the library because i wanted to leave it for my friend who i intended to send right down to check it out. It's about an eccentric in a culture not known for eccentrics. It's about his wife and family. His wife is a stoic and her relationship with her husband is like reading science fiction to a 21st century American. The dogs are great. Great. Please do not go out and buy an Akita though. This is a lot of dog. A whole lot of dog. They almost need a mountain.

This book has touched me. The main character is morally strong, and the result of his strength has affected a breed of dog to a point beyond comprehension. If you own an Akita, this is a must read. If you do not own an Akita, you need to read this as well.

The first 14 pages are very engaging. I look forward to reading the rest of the book.

"Even the Sparrow" is exactly the kind of story I loved as a girl, historical fiction with a close focus on family. Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Understood Betsy, and other classics will "flock" to this well-written, emotionally engaging story. I'd certainly recommend it! The author's eye for detail, ear for language, and heartfelt connection with her characters makes it a winner.

Even the Sparrow instantly provokes emotion and never relents. Even reader's without a fondness for stories of the Great Depression (a group to which I'm a member)-forced to compassion, I yearn to follow the plight of Meg & Temple and hope for a happy ending.

Very well written, this excerpt provides wonderful visualization. I'm up for the next chapter!

Love the easy flow of this excerpt. Losing my mother at an early age, I empathize with Meg's loss. I am intrigued by the experience and emotions associated with living without her father. I want to read more!!!

The setting and dialogue caught my interest from the start. I could feel the heat and dust, the sticky lemonade, and the emotion that the main character felt as she learned of the changes that were happening in her life. The girls were likeable and the plot line interesting. I would like to keep reading! Very well done!!

i recomend this series i just bought night rise upon the completion of evil star. evil star is amazing and so is horowitz.

Evil Star
Evil Star by Anthony Horowitz is an amazing, action packed and fun to read book that I would recommend to anyone of ages ten and up. The story starts in the English town York, where Matthew
Freeman lives and goes to school. There he is asked by a secretive group to retrieve a diary. Along the way he ends up finding a dead man and loses the diary. After that he goes to Peru and meets a strange boy named Pedro. Pedro turns out to be very helpful and in a few situations he saves matt's life. Then, while trying to save matt's friend, Richard Cole, they uncover a mysterious plan made by Senior Salamanda to take over the world. But little does Salamanda know what he is messing with.
Matt is an intelligent boy, he is tall and has short brown hair. In the beginning of the series he was just a normal teenager who got into a lot of trouble until the Leaf Project sent him away in the first book, Ravens Gate. In Evil Star he ends up lost and confused in the winding streets of Peru instead of a distant farm way out in the country. There, his car is attacked, his friend is kidnapped and the driver is shot. Then he finds Pedro and Pedro takes Matt to the man he works for to get him help. To me, Matt seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time but somehow he manages to deal with it.
You should read this book not because I am recommending it, but because it is a great series that you can really get into.

Mathew Freeman is a boy of thirteen years of age living with a greedy Aunt named Gwenda Davis in London. At the age of eight years old Matt's parents were killed in a car accident on the way to a wedding. A strange thing happened though. The night prior to the day of the wedding, Matt had a dream that his parents would be killed in a car accident the next day. Right before they were all about to leave Matt suddenly said that he did not want to go with his parents to the wedding. He was an only child and was a bit spoiled so naturally they agreed to let him stay with their neighbor, Ms. Green. Then later that morning a constable comes to their neighbor's house and tells Matt that his parents died on the way to the wedding. He then fosters out and goes to live with Gwenda Davis. Gwenda and her boyfriend then spend the fortune left to Matt by his parents . Matt then starts hanging out with a seventeen year old boy named Kelvin. He ends up getting busted as an accessory to murder while trying to rob an electronics warehouse. He is then put in the LEAF project and he is sent with an old lady to a small town named Lesser Malling which is a town full of vampires. He then runs into a secret organization called the Nexus which is dedicated to fighting ancient evil beings called the Old Ones from coming to Earth through inter-dimensional gates. Matt finds out he is part of the five original gatekeepers born to keep the gates from opening. The first one is Ravens Gate. There are four boys and one girl. Matt will me new people and will be helped and hurt on his journey to destroy Ravens Gate. Matt survives life with Mrs.Deverell his new foster vampire parent. Will he succeed? Who are the Old Ones? Will Mathew Freeman survive Ravens Gate? This book answers all these questions as New York times Best-Selling author Anthony Horowitz does it again in Ravens Gate.

I thought this book was way better than Raven's Gate. The story just gets better and better.

This book is about Matt going to Peru because the Nexus believes there is another gate and it's supposed to open soon. So Matt goes to Peru and as he's leaving the aiport, they get ambushed. Richard gets kiddnaped and Matt gets away. He then meets a boy named Pedro. Pedro takes him to a place called Poison town. Matt gets a whole new look because the cops are after him. He goes on a wild journey through town, through jungles. After they come out from the Cloud Forest, Matt meets the Incas, an ancient civilazation, and they beleive that Pedro is one of the five. They go to a labratory in a town because they think it will stop the gate from opening. They fight guards and then they find out the gate is still opening so they get sent all the way into a desert by a helecopter. The helecopter crashes and Pedro broke his ankle and he can't fight. Matt goes out alone and then he watches in horror as the Old Ones come out of the ground. Will the Matt win and save the world or will the king of the Old Ones detroy Matt and take over the world...

I think this book is great for someone who likes actionbooks and people 10 or older.

EVIL STAR is the second book in the Anthony Horowitz series called THE GATEKEEPERS.

In book one, titled Raven's Gate (The Gatekeepers), main character Matt discovers he is one of five specially chosen teens. Their purpose is to save the world. Matt doesn't know the other five and must "close" Raven's Gate on his own. As the second book, EVIL STAR, begins, Matt finds himself in Peru meeting up with Pedro, who turns out to be one of the chosen five.

Matt and Pedro join forces, although it isn't easy since Matt speaks only English and Pedro speaks Spanish. Their unusual connection does allow them to communicate while in a dream state. They learn each others' stories and realize that their paths will someday cross the paths of their remaining team.

Together Matt and Pedro must find and prevent the opening of the second gate. Its history is intertwined with the ancient Incas and the Peruvian culture. As they search the seamier side of Peru, they encounter kidnapping, gun battles, the evil "big headed" Salamanda, high altitude jungle treks, and terrifying helicopter rides. Exactly what is the Evil Star and can they find the next gate in time to close it and save the world from the Old Ones?

Horowitz provides his usual fast-paced, non-stop action in this new series. It is sure to impress his already established fans and create plenty of new ones.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"