I Books

For anyone wanting to know St. John of the Cross this book is excellant. For anyone struggling with the "Dark Night" this book is a must. Very reassuring and comforting to know you don't walk alone and that God is always there. This book will deepen your faith.

Like many saints, when you approach St John you feel like you are approaching a figure who is more than human. St John seems to have reached heights and depths of the human psyche and spirit the ordinary mortal cannot hope to match.

Certainly St John's path contains many paradoxes and contradictions; I am sure if he had been born in the same period in Japan he would have been a great Zen Buddhist monk. His path is also soaring and frightening, designed to purge the Christian contemplative of every ego desire and attachment which hinders our union to God. His path of union is also terrifying for its intensity and the degree of suffering it seems to require.

St John himself only seemed to reach the state of union through a 'dark night' while he was imprisoned in a bleak monastary prison for allegedly breaking several rules of his order. Tortured, beaten, and starved, the Sanjuanist monk experienced an incredible mystical experience which led him to write several beautiful poems modelled on the Bible's book of 'Songs' and also on the Psalms and Lamentations of Jeremiah. He later explained the meaning of his poems as the means through which anyone, provided they can practice enough self discipline and trust enough in the grace of God, can achieve an intimate union to God in this life.

Unfortunately I doubt in our consumer age, so focused on immediate gratification of every sensual and physical desire, so obsessed with money and wealth and possessing material things, and so denigrating of any form of 'useless' focus on the 'impractical' which doesn't productively 'do' something, can really well appreciate John's message. John was no believer in compromise; it was either the way of the cross, which meant giving your life over to Christ at all cost, or you risked perdition.

Strangely though, his works have enormous popularity and are cropping up everywhere. His works seem to fill a void, a great void in the human spirit and heart, which no material good or amount of money can fill. Perhaps few if anyone can ascend to the top of Mt Carmel in our era, but we can at least try, even a little.

Always go with hard cover books, becuase they last a lifetime! Spend the extra 5 or 7 dollars so that you don't have to spend the extra $20 to get a replacment book. I haven't read it yet, but to have all of St. John's works in one place is deffinetly a good deal. Buying one book is way cheaper then buying 4 or 5 books.

This is not an easy read, but something that is well worth the effort! Parts of the text have changed my life already. I highly recommend this book for anyone wishing to draw closer to our Lord.

A masterpiece. The clarity of the text is unsurpassed and the effect is ultimately transcendant. I can see how it might be difficult for people who have not participated in at least the first night of this process to absorb the experience he is trying to relate. Nonetheless he is absolutley correct. If you could only have one book in life, this would definetely be a consideration, in that it completely details the process of the mystical experience. I could ramble on forever, but just buy it. It will be the best money you've spent. Bless.

This book came highly recommended to me and it has exceeded my skeptical expectations. I love how Steele takes the lion share of the beginning of each chapter to recount hilarious personal stories and then takes the last few pages of each chapter to make challenging applications that I did NOT see coming. I have been so entertained and challenged- an unusual combination- by this book. The result is that I am now more challenged to live a life that will leave a lasting effect and NOT just a life that makes me FEEL like I am doing things that matter. Read it, you will love it!

If C.S. Lewis had been a standup comedian, I think he would have written a book like this.

I've heard some people accuse this work as being too simple, but I disagree. It's easy to read, yes, because it's ridiculously funny. I've never laughed out loud so much during a book. But that is no indication of it's depth and rest assured, it gets deep.

Steele writes in a way that reminds me of a good sermon. His anecdotes and musings keep you entertained and interested, but then he brings it all together to show you the point he's making...and it's a wakeup call. One minute you're doubled over in laughter and the next minute you're in deep conviction.

Perhaps the most endearing quality the author possesses is his ability to be real. Steele shares his thoughts with no hint of finger-pointing, high-and-mighty theology. He simply bares his soul and tells his story, and he tells it in such a way that makes it easy for the reader to relate.

If you're looking for literary fluff, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a refreshingly humorous book with true Christian roots, get Flashbang.

I didn't know that this book was a "spiritual" type book. I usually don't read them....honestly, I didn't get the spirtual message....it's that subtle. The writer is awesome. Had me crying and doubled over in laughter with some of his stories. Will probably read this again....it's a quick read!

A

An awesome read... a must for anyone who wants to challenge their faith and grow. Taking the pain and living it, finding God in it. In getting over oneself. Unfortunately, it happens with hindsight... and I'm not there yet...

Flashbang. Funny guy.

Good start. Where do we go now?

Loud noise but no point.

It is a conversation between a French woman (Gabrielle Bossis, 1874-1950), and her great Friend, her abiding Voice, her Loving Savior, Christ.

Playwright, dramatist and actress by profession, Gabrielle writes under invitation. He And i begins in 1936, while she is on a French passenger liner to Canada, where she will do a tour of her plays.

Every subsequent reader who "meets" this "book" is ALSO invited . . to REPLACE "Gabrielle Bossis", with their OWN name . . THEIR own life. That very same tender Voice now speaks to each reader, wants to coach each life, dispose every life-style - MINE,YOURS - into "THE JOY OF BEGINNING AGAIN", daily, coaching us into Heaven . . begun in Faith . . here and now . . on earth . .within time and, ultimately, beyond time into Eternity . . where, face to Face, we, His family of intimate friends, will be . . FOREVER! . . WITH HIM !

This volume is for lovers! Let us not fear to BE Loved . . . NOR to return OUR love!

To Gabrielle, to each reader, He pleads, "Ask that through this little book I may come as I once came, healing, drawing people to Me. What a triumphal entry into the silence of hearts!"

And indeed, how DEADLY silent our hearts are made by all the "appealing" but appalling and conflicting voices around!

But let us not allow that word "triumphal" to frighten us! . . because, in reality, it is "the abyss of Merciful Love" FILLING "the abyss of our nothingness" (Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity, OCD, "Heaven In Faith", ICS publications). . . entering with incomprehensible Love.

A POSTSCRIPT (Sept.9/07): Everything Benedict XVI focusses on in his homily (cf.Google/"ZENIT") at St.Stephen's Cathedral (Vienna) during his papal visit to Austria, i.e. the necessity of "Giving Sunday back to one's soul, and one's soul back to Sunday", confirms the message of He And i! The "Loving-kindness" one receives from the Lord by honoring His Day -Sunday- is the same, IS the "tender Voice", which the reader experiences on each page of He And i.

Each of these reviews, and together, eloquently intone the praises proper to that "tender Voice" -"Oh!Ancient Beauty"- first made into a prayer by St. Augustine.

The Divine Mercy forsees the most intimate needs of our souls way before the situations and conditions "arrive"!

By scheduling time for a reading of He And i "between Sundays" we extend and implant the JOY of Sunday into the nitty-gritty of EVERY day.

Thanks be to God! Truly, "Alleluiah!" (Joy!)! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!

He & I has for more than a decade brought wave upon wave of consolation and hope to the shores of my soul. Our Lord truly speaks through this little book and has me returning to it again and again more than any other spritual book I've ever read. My copy is both worn and dog-eared and with little notes I penciled in when it seemed as if He anticipated my very thoughts before turning the page! This book is no small miracle for you will feel as if you are in direct conversation with Our Lord, with His very breath exhaled on every page...

It is hard to find a Book that could be described as the Ultimate Truth - APART FROM THE BIBLE - THIS I AM CONVINCED IS AN EXTENSION OF GOD'S WORD TO A SUFFERING WORLD. This is a remarkable, even stunning diary of a French Woman who faithfully wrote down convesations she experienced The Lord had with her from 1936 to 1950 - the dialogue is so different and compelling, even more so than with Theresa of Avila, that the book elicits responses that no other I have ever read has done. One is left with the conviction that she did in fact communicate simply with Her Great Friend in this manner and that you can too - I have in fact experienced similar " understandings " after humbly reading and believing the life-changing transcripts - THERE IS NO OTHER BOOK THAT IS LIKE THIS apart from the New Testament.

It is the most astonishing book that I want to recomend for all spiritual seeker.
" I am in everything and I am all love. Let your life be one perpetual feast... the feast of love of god. Get out of yourself and let your soul be lost in my love...." says the voice

This book made my life feast of love . It is about conversation with god and dialog of love.

I found this book in the chapel of my church, and started reading it. I read it everyday after the mass; within a few months, I had begun attempts to reorganize the priorities of my life: it was first work, then God, and then people; now I want it to be first God, then people, and then work. Read this book and let it carry you away.

This book was great on giving advice on how to create a life for yourself (from getting a job, meeting people, volunteering). It listed lots of other books and websites that I didn't know where out there for me.

Kathie and Holly were the keynote speakers at a Women's Conference on our base recently. They were funny and inspiring. Hearing them speak and reading their book was the kick in the pants I needed to start setting goals for MYSELF again. I bought a book for myself and for a friend that was struggling with the military lifestyle.

Every military spouse should read this book! I read it TWICE and learned even more the second time though. It has inspired and motivated me to "Get a Life Too". I have had so much fun writing my list of 101 Things to Do Before I Die. I discovered that there are so many amazing things that I have already experienced thanks to nearly 10 years as an Army wife. I even managed to get my husband to read a few select chapters and he agrees that it is well written, very informative, and hilariously entertaining (read: funny but true stories). After reading this book you will want to buy one for all your military spouse friends. Yes....it is THAT GOOD! Happy reading!

This book certainly answers the cry for "Help!" expressed in its title. It uses personal examples from the authors and many other military spouses, and gives positive, practical steps for thriving, not just surviving, in military life. The authors have thoroughly researched, thought through and lived out their own advice. An excellent resource for new military spouses, this book is a bright spot of encouragement for spouses of every experience level.

What a terrific compilation of material, and all so useful. Congratulations to the authors! I dearly wish this book had been available in 1972 when I became a Navy wife--sure would have helped the transition from small-town farm girl to traveling military spouse. For all the challenges I faced as a military spouse, it was truly a wonderful life...and still is in retirement.

I found this excerpt to be not only beautifully written but sincere and personal also. The exploration of a family dealing with terrible loss set against images of war is something that has been done many times before, but rarely with such careful and evocative prose. I am haunted by the pain apparent in Salvatore, his family, and their relationships to one another, and yet I am drawn in to read more.

All in all, I'm very pleased to see that this novel is still in consideration for the ABNA contest--it is a breakthrough like this that they are truly privileged to find. My congratulations to the author; I hope to read the entire novel soon!

The description of Sal's village claiming the statue of Saint Sebastian does a nice job of setting the scene in this excerpt, showing the values and points of pride of the people who live here.

The death of Sal's brothers is abrupt and horrifying, and sets up a situation that is sure to lead to a great deal of grieving and guilt in the main characters. It will be interesting to see the ways in which the characters deal with this terrible tragedy.

The description of the ways life goes on for Sal's family is heartbreaking, as his parents steadily pull away from him and he is left floundering, wanting some reassurance that he is not blamed for his brothers' deaths.

The thought of Sal witnessing his father's suicide made for an emotional and tense moment, and this boy's reaction to what he sees is realistic and believable.

I would have liked to have read more of this story; the introduction to the characters and their situation really drew me in and made me feel connected to them, even in this brief amount of space.

Marco Rafala opens this curious work at a full gallop as his first narrator, Salvatore, moves animatedly through a handful of events that shape the tragic story. I look forward to reading the balance of his life journey and that of the complement of narrators. While the pace of this opening doesn't match the tempo of the setting, I suspect it is a deliberate attempt to catch the reader's attention. Bravo, Marco.

A boy of nine faces the violent deaths of his twin brothers on a day of celebration as his small Sicilian village is liberated from German occupation during World War Two. His family has survived in the village under the protective gaze of a saint for generations. They have lived in caves during the occupation and have lost their home, but they and their orchards of almond trees survive. Now they must face more change as they grieve for the lost twins and the many villagers who emigrate to America. The author of this excerpt uses the voice of Salvatore as he addresses his brother David and recounts the events and emotions of the troubled time in what is perhaps the first time he has spoken of his feelings of guilt and his witnessing the near suicide of their father. The piece is unevenly written, but is so filled with genuine emotion that I found it easy to overlook its obvious shortcomings. I do hope this is chosen as a finalist and finds its way to publication.

I See the Branch of an Almond Tree by M. Rafala enters into a three pronged piece of storytelling, first from Salvatore's perspective. While at first it feels as if Salvatore is speaking to the reader, it becomes clear that he is actually relaying this tale to David (his son). Perhaps they are there in Melilli as the story is recounted.

Telling and tragic is this portion of the book. With happiness and hope rising around the village as the Allies have ousted the Germans and Italian Black Shirts, the unthinkable happens when Salvatore's younger twin brothers wander off only to find an unexploded shell. Salvatore witnesses the horror of his brothers' deaths, and the family's dynamic (especially between the parents) is forever changed.

The author does a marvelous job of giving older Salvatore a voice that so delicately and believably recalls the details of this tragedy and what transpires in the years that follow. With the mention of men going to America, his mother's words about the twins, and finding his father about to commit suicide, we see a real change is needed if any of this family is to survive.

I love being caught off guard at the end of an excerpt, and this one was no exception. I look forward to reading more of this story.

Its been over 10 years since i read this book and i still to this day remember the characters names, what the book is about and no i dont own a copy of it yet... for the life of me i could not remember the title of the book or who wrote it... but i did reconize the cover instantly! thats just the type of impact that a book like this can have on a person....

This is a wonderful book if you like to babysit. I love this book. I read this book years ago and then I bought it on Amazon.com and My son, daughter and there friends have read it. It is a good book. What I like about it was that Scott helped her and he stuck with her..Read it to undestand what I mean.

I read "I Won't Let Them Hurt You" and I thought it was a wonderful book. This story is about a girl named Katie who was babysitting a little boy in order to get money to buy a dress for her school dance. In the beginning, when I found out that Justin was being abused, I thought it was his father. Later on in the story, I continued to think that it was the father who was beating his child, Justin. Katie, the babysitter had seen bruises on Justin everytime she went to babysit him. Her date for the dance was Scott. Scott's mother was involved with children who get abused and she helped Katie out. Katie had felt very guilty about telling Scott's mother about Justin's problem. I could understand how she felt telling because it made her lose her job and it also made Justin's mother upset. Scott's mother had Katie speak to someone about Justin's problem. Later on, Katie spoke to Justin's mom about Justin's situation and found out that it was Justin's mom who was abusing him. It came as a real surprise to me that it was Justin's mom because all along they lead me to believe that it was his father. Justin's parents then had to go to a class each week about abusing your child and how it was wrong to do so. I thought that it was wonderful how Justin's mom was going to go get help because she really needed it. I enjoyed reading this book a lot and would definitely recommend it.

I think this book was one of the best books I ever read. I gave it 5 stars because it was suspenseful, exciting, and informational on child abuse. It was about a girl named Katie, who started baby sitting this little boy, Justin. She started noticing cuts and bruises on the little boy and was getting worried that something was wrong. She thought that Justin's father abuses him. She didn't want to tell anyone what she suspected because would anyone believe her? If you read this book you should look forward to a surprising ending! I recommend this book to readers of all ages. Have fun reading!!!

I Won't Let Them Hurt You is a great book.I found this book easy to read; I didn't want to stop. Some books drone on and on, but this one keeps your attention. I rated this book 5 stars because it had a great story. This book is about a babysitter who thinks that the child is being abused by his father. She is very worried about him and will do anything for him. Katie doesn't want to believe that his parents would do something like that. Be prepared for a surprise ending. If you decide to read this book, get comfortable. You won't want to stop reading. I recommend this book to kids of all ages. This story can be very influencial to some. I hope you enjoy this book.

"To know the road ahead, ask those coming back."
--Chinese Proverb

James Green's interviews with 87 people helped them reveal their moment of truth--and what truth it is. Each story is only a few pages based on: If you could go back and change anything in your life, what would you do differently?

The subtitle of the book is "How to seize your once-in-a-lifetime chance to get it right." It's pretty obvious we will see ourselves in more than one of the stories.

You cannot have a favorite in these stories as each one makes a strong point. For example:
-- A retired NYC cop says he wishes he had been more open minded as a young man relative to people of different races.
-- A young woman tells how she loved men who didn't love her; and was loved by men she didn't love, and how she finally decided to save herself physically and emotionally for the right man.

The author is an airline pilot who decided that "He would listen to the whisper and not let life pass him by, and that he would live his life without regret."

The interview questions he used are part of the book, and if you read them, you will be forced to think about things you learned as each one is a subtle nudge down memory lane.

Can you tell I loved this book! And as a bonus, he included some really great quotes.

Armchair Interviews says with so much downer news in the media and our lives today, these stories so very uplifting.

"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first,
the lesson afterwards."
-- Vernon Sanders Law, pro baseball player

Reviewed by William Phenn for Readers Views

James Green, airline pilot turned writer, turned motivationalist. All he has seen and all he has done, does not compare to what he has written in this compelling volume.

Green has interviewed eighty seven people (I shall have to find out why 87 and not 90?) from all walks of life. Taken one aspect of a person's life, he gives the reader an insight into that person which no one has ever heard before. This book has true accounts of lost love, internet love, disappointing careers, unfulfilled dreams, shattered lives and few successes. Successes such as Green, who includes an excerpt from his own life, tells of how he made the right choice in his early years and how that choice, that one single moment in his existence, made an amazing difference in his life.

Green has filled "If There's One Thing I've Learned" with over two hundred and fifty pages of the most interesting accounts of people. Recollections they have had of the good, the bad, and the ugly. One such example is Steve, the thirty seven year old architect, that discovered internet dating. His humorous account of cyber sex and internet dating left me in stitches. Then there is Ron, the thirty nine year old technician, whose story was in the chapter titled "The One Who Got Away" - a heart breaker that will read like a Greek tragedy. On and on, the examples are endless, the stories compelling.

Green has combined every facet of enjoyable reading into this volume. There is joy, drama, tragedy, sex (not erotic) and no violence. If there's one thing I've learned, this is a very enjoyable book that is general audience. Lessons learned in the book are many; see which one relates to you and your life.

I highly recommend this fine piece of literary work to all who can read. You are in here somewhere, mark my words.

James Green's book encourages the reader to look within himself/herself, to focus upon their goals, what's important in their lives and also offers some solace that we can learn from our past, in order to improve upon our future. It's refreshing to read a "guide" which isn't another fad. Rather, the author offers thought provoking experiences from diverse individuals, which can be of benefit to all.

I received this book as a gift and was very moved by its content. The author's personal experiences, as well as those of others he shares, serve to remind the reader of the importance of living life without regret ... something I promote in my romance seminars and coaching. This book is definitely worth the read, not to mention you may want to gift someone you love with a copy. Oh, and don't be surprised if you discover that one of the stories you read is very close to your own. Congratulations, Mr. Green!

IF THERE'S ONE THING I'VE LEARNED by James Green is about "how to seize your once in a lifetime chance to get it right." The author has interviewed hundreds of people of all ages and walks of life and asked what is the most important lesson each has learned and how he or she learned it. The stories and the lessons are told in the interviewee's words. Many are followed with a related wise saying from Wisdom teachers of various faiths through the ages

I found this book (a first edition) in the dusty corner of a library in New York. The title intrigued me, so I had to check it out. I honestly do not think I have ever read a more enjoyable memoir....and about such a subject. There is absolutely no other book out there that describes a patients stay at a TB sanatorium. Sure, there is the Magic Mountain and various others that are tiresome and not REALLY and simply about a stay in a sanatorium....interesting, because so many people had that experience-and no, not everyone died. This is the only book of its kind and I am thrilled and honored to have accidentally discovered it. I was even more shocked to find out that she was Mrs. Piggle Wiggle...hey, I grew up with her!

If there's anything good about a disiplinarian TB institution in the 30s (not 40s), it's the opportunity to meet so many different kinds of people. Macdonald is an observer and nailer of people's quirks on a level with Dickens (both of them, Charles and Monica). I love this book. There's one thing I would like explained, though. American readers talk as if Macdonald's "racism" was an understood and obvious thing. I see no racism in this book. OK, she calls somebody "coloured" and another girl "black". She also mentions that her roommate is Japanese and her workmate an Eskimo. Is she racist for not using today's PC terminology? She praises the institution for accepting everybody and mixing them together. She quotes some racist comments from other patients, but doesn't say she condones them, in fact "Betty" in the book answers back and disagrees. Please, please, somebody tell me why it is currently PC to say Macdonald is racist?

I read this book long ago, have forgotten a lot of it, but just about every December I find myself singing "Deck the Halls in Old Crepe Paper, fa la la" etc. Used to confuse my kids no end. For those who haven't read it yet, look for the scenes of holiday celebrations in the old TB sanitaruims-- sad & funny.

as "The Egg and I"--her statement in that book that "I do not like Indians and I think we did a good thing in coming over and taking this beautiful country away from them." made my part-Cherokee blood boil--could write another that was so UNracist. While the author does use terms like 'colored' and 'Negro', those were (one can understand) the accepted terms in the 1930s, and while she records the racist attudes of some of the patients and staff, she apparently does not agree with them. She formed a close attachment with a Japanese patient--whom she later urges to go to college--and when an African-American (to use the accepted term of today) patient tells her that she doesn't mind being in isolation because the white patients don't want her as a roommate anyway, she thinks this absurd.

It is difficult for us today to understand how very scary TB was back then. While TB is not unknown today, if caught early it is easily treated with appropriate medications; not so, then. The only treatment was a rest-cure with pallitive measures; many people recovered, but many did not. There were some surgical treatments (collapsed lung), but they were painful and not terribly effective. It was known to be contageous, although not nearly as contageous as many people thought it was. The nearest modern equivalent might be HIV/AIDS, except that the latter is always fatal.

As other authors have mentioned, one hardly thinks that such a story would be funny, but BMacD is able to find humor in any situation. I've read all four of her books for adults and enjoyed them very much--even 'Egg'. That she was able to be discharged from the sanitarium after only about a year shows that laughter is, indeed, the best medicine.

This book is filled with an off beat sence of humor. It isn't the slap you in the face kind of humor but rather the kind of humor that hits you later. For example, I found myself smilingat something I read earlier in the day while cooking dinner. At the end of this book you feel like you know each of the people personally. I wanted a follow up to find out what happened to each person. It's that good.

Basically this book is about Betty MacDonalds stay in a sanitorium while she had TB. She can take such a serious topic that could be pretty morose and turn it into something interesting and funny.

My husband died suddenly in 2005 and I've done a lot of grief work using all tools available-counseling, guided imagery dvd's, bereavement groups, journaling and LOTS of reading. This is by far the best resource and guide for anyone experiencing such a loss. I've recommended it several times and have given it to friends who have lost spouses. Don't hesitate to buy it.

I gave this as a gift to my cousin's husband after she died. He'd read a number of books on the topic and said this book included helpful information that he'd never read before. He gave it to his step daughters to read next since he felt they could benefit from it as well.

Harper Neeld's book is an incredibly detailed compilation of the author's personal experiences in the sudden loss of her young husband, interviews with other widows/widowers, and discussions of phases of the grieving process. I would rate this book highly, along with one of my favorite grief authors, thanatologist Alan Wolfelt (e.g. Understanding Your Grief books). Harper Neeld seamlessly combines her painful, personal story with factual, helpful guidelines to create one of the best written boooks I have read on widowhood. I used the introspective questions with my grief therapist, who liked the book so much that she borrowed it and used it for a class she taught.

My friends keep telling me I should write a book about my grief, but I think that what Elizabeth Harper Neeld has written is better than anything I could produce. This book is so readable and covers every aspect of grief. My husband died four months ago, and I have found this book exceedingly helpful. Elixabeth put the most important step first "To experience and express grief fully." There are hundreds of ways to run away from grief, but it is necessary "to feel it to heal it." I was given the best advice by a friend who said to "lean into the pain." The second choice "To endure with patience," has helped me be more patient and compassionate with myself. Thank you, Elizabeth for this beautiful book. I will buy it for everyone I know who loses someone dear.

After my husband died suddenly, I was beside myself. My aunt insisted on placing this book in my hands. It has been a lifeline to me. I have purchased well over 20 copies of it for friends and continue to haunt my local bookstore when they don't have it on the shelf for immediate purchase. Having read almost every grief book out there, don't waste your money, just buy this one and learn to live again.

Sophie feels pretty awful about things. Actually, she's felt pretty awful for three years, ever since her younger brother Erhart died. He was seven and she was twelve. Since then, she has tried hard to keep his memory alive inside of her, specifically thinking of him a couple of times a day so he doesn't fade completely from her mind.

Making things even worse in Sophie's life is the fact that she can't seem to get along with her father, who had an affair shortly before Erhart's death and was thrown out of their house.

Then Sophie lost her best friend, Justin, who wanted to date her and stopped liking her when she refused to be his girlfriend. Now he circulates with a group Sophie refers to as the Wolf Pack, mindless guys who only care about impressing frivolous girls. Sophie feels pretty alone in the world.

The stops feeling so alone when she meets Francis, a guy whose mother died years ago. He seems to understand a little of what she feels about Erhart, and he is the first person in a long time she has enjoyed spending time with. He even respects that she isn't interested in dating anyone. But is she really not interested in dating anyone? Or would she maybe like to date Francis?

I really liked Francis' character and the way he related to and respected Sophie, although I found it a bit unrealistic that he would have stuck around so long when Sophie gave him so little encouragement. I liked that Sophie's family didn't completely break down after her brother died; she and her mother and sister were still pretty much okay. The character of Justin was lousy--it was hard to believe someone would be so insensitive to drop his friendship with a girl so easily when she refused to date him.

This book was interesting--at times. I found the main character quite boring, but Francis seemed complex, and I found his tear tattoo fascinating. This is a rather typical "coming-of-age" story and did not do much to capture my interest. I basically struggled through the story, but I didn't find it unbearable. It was well-written, but simply wasn't attention-grabbing for me. I gave it three stars as it just didn't have what it takes to make a wonderful novel.

This is one of my favorite books. The characters felt so real and were very memorable, especially Francis. I liked the plot and felt satisfaction when it endded. It was an easy read, but was also well written.

"Her brother is gone-but she is still here", says the cover. Sophie's younger brother died of leukemia when he was eight. That was two years ago. Day by day, Sophie finds herself forgetting him. She's scared of letting go of what little memories she has of him; until she meets Francis. Can she let go but still hold on of the memories she has? This was a very good book, very vivid of what Sophie goes through. She's someone that you could easily relate to if someone close to you died. At times though, she sounds very fake and un-caring. She's somewhat of a snob though that judges people by what she's heard about them. Francis teaches her that's not a wise idea and little by little, she finds herself falling in love with him. Yet part of her holds back. Plus, there's her complicated relationship with her father. Her parents are divorced and he was having an affair while her brother was dying. In a way she blames him for his death. Can Sophie give herself permission to be what she wants to be? To grow up?

When I was Older by Garret Freymann-Weyr is one of my favorite books. It is a fictional story about a Girl learning to cope her life. I loved this book, and i would recommend it to any teenage girl. It is a must read.
Sophie is a 13 year old girl growing up in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Her brother died when she was very young, and She doesnt take it well. She still can't talk about him, or bring it up in a conversation with anyone. In a way, Earheart (her brother) is keeping her from growing up. Her thoughts are still on days when she was younger when she'd play with him before he got sick. Sophie must learn that Highschool changes people, and sometimes you have to accept that change.
I liked this book alot becuase I myself, can relate to how Sophie feels. Her brother is diagnosed with Lukemia and When he dies it breaks her heart. My mother had cancer, so i know how Sophie feels through the book.
Also, Garret Freymann Weyr is an amazing author. He tells this story with the use of Strong Diction, and great dialouge. his knack for writing really shines through. I never once wanted to put this book down, and i read it in 2 days. This book Not only shows the hardships of growing up, but learning how tocope with your problems. I recomend it for everyone.