N Books

This book is a little gem. It is one of a kind. There is no other book like this on the market, not that I know of, anyway. Although the author is a bit older than I am and some of the clothes are outdated, I could still relate to her. She related her life experiences by detailing what she wore during those experiences. We all can recall at least one event by remembering what we were wearing!! At times, she appears kind of catty, which just gives quite a human element to the book. I myself have so many clothes I cannot get rid of due to sentimental reasons. However, after reading this book, I may do the same thing she did and draw them or take a picture of them and then give them away. This is a GREAT book!!

Delightfully wacky little book deliciously decorated. Even though I'm a male I loved the book and its many drawing/paintings of clothing and other things. It is interesting to know how the book came about and how its author was writing about her life for her children and using her creative ability to show them how her life was growing up.

I learned of the book when reading Jane Smiley's book: "13 Ways of Looking at the Novel" and thought her comments interesting enough to buy the book and read it. And I enjoyed it very much. I recommend "Love, Loss and what I Wore" to everyone regardless of gender.

If I could, I would give this book more than 5 stars. What a clever idea to recall onel's life by remembering the outfits worn. Loved the delightful illustrations. Beckerman is a unqiue and talented writer/illustrator. Thanks for the memories!

I had picked this book up and put it back down several times when I saw it at the book store. I am glad I finally bought it! It is an interesting idea, and one that I am sure many of us can identify with: a memoir built on memories of certain beloved items of clothing. Ilene Beckerman had an interesting childhood and has had a varied life as an adult. Obviously, her talents lie more in writing than in drawing--the sketches of the clothing are rather simple,but she does manage to convey what she felt like wearing each outfit. It doesn't take very long to read, and if read in one sitting you get quite a sense of her life. Sometimes funny, sometimes quite bittersweet, but always entertaining.

I, like most of my women friends I've talked to, including my mother and my sisters, shape memories and moments based on the clothes we were wearing at the time.

I bought this book in 1995 when it was first published and have referred to it several times over the years for inspiration and support. I found it in the "Self-Help" section of the bookstore.

This little book does as good a job as anything I've read, at getting in a woman's head. Clothes are how we remember. Wearing our favorite clothes or shoes or carrying our favorite handbag gives us confidence and helps us cope.

For a while, I kept a diary of drawings of outfits whenever I'd want to remember an important event. Ask me what I was wearing when I held my niece for the first time (navy blue A-line Liz Claiborne dress) or when I went to my first job interview out of college (a polka-dot suit I called The Stewardess) or the night I was first kissed by the love of my life (a shirt that said "Keep On Truckin" in glitter... heh).

A good friend's mother passed away a few months ago, and I bought a copy for her, since Ms. Beckerman mentions the death of her own mother. She also mentions marriages, divorces, babies, and career successes, and most importantly, what she wore.

It makes a great gift for any woman. Or for yourself.

Amazon asked me to review this book, which is funny, considering I still haven't received the copy I ordered more than a month ago! If you really want this book, you might try getting it elsewhere.

I found this book to be a wonderful book that takes you into the world of a passenger on the Titanic and his journey through the disaster. It was a wonderful book with great illustrations that really helped my students look into the events of the Titanic.

I liked the story because when Polar was lost he was reunited with his owner at the end of the story. The person that read me the story said that this story was true because the granddaughter of Polar's owner found this story in her attic and wrote a book about it.

the name of this book is polar the titanic bear.It was a very,very good book. IT IS A TRUE STORY.I is about a stuffed bear that is "alive" and has a very good connection with his master.His master's family was a very rich family,so they traveled alot.The two were on the titanic,& this book has real pictures of the titanic & his family.(masters family)

This book has much to offer, for young readers and for adults. It is a wonderful glimpse into history, told from the perspective of a Steiff polar bear, who is very much a part of the life of young Douglas Spedden. His family's travels and his young life unfold in a beautiful text that is illustrated with sensitive illustrations and historical photographs. The Speddens traveled on the ill-fated Titanic. The incredible drama of that event unfolds in the most personal narrative. The magnficent beauty of the ship is conveyed as the family enjoys its commodious luxury. The drama of its sinking is compelling as well as touching in the describtion of the heartbreaking separation of Polar from young Douglas. This is how a young child would remember such an event. Fortunately, Polar is found and reunited with his friend.

The story behind the story is as wondeful as the book itself. Leighton H. Coleman III found this wonderful manuscript in his grandfather's barn. It was written by his cousin, Daisy Spedden. How brilliant of a mother to convert a traumatizing event into a story for her little boy! Her tender insight, the wonder of discovery and the perfect blending of history and narrative--ocean liners, wonderful bears--all of these components make this a perfect children's book that is both educational and entertaining (for parents, too!). I have given scores of copies to my friends with children and to my many adult friends who are fascinated by ocean liners and the Titanic. The book is well-crafted with much to offer.

As a young teenager, I babysat for a woman who loved to read novels. The best ones, she told me, had stories that never leave you. A Stone for Danny Fisher is one of those novels.

At my advanced age, I've lost count of the number of books I've read that really mattered to me. But when I'm in a nostalgic frame of mind, and go back to the book shelf for something to read again, Harold Robbins' magnificent autobiorgaphical novel is one that comes to mind.

I read this book only recently, after my dad recommended it to me. I had heard of Harold Robbins before, and had looked into his novels, but this is probably the best of his works. Danny is one of those characters you can feel for. Robbins manages to entwine his readers in the life of Danny by creating a very realistic story that everyone can, at one point, relate to. I enjoyed the novel immensely as it comprised of ups and downs, and looking back at it, I can't really point out one part which might have been better than the other. Being from a different generation from my dad, I can say that it is one of those books you recommend to your kids years from now, as I recommend it to my friends and family. It's very real.

I snuck this book from my Mom's bedside table and read the whole thing in one night. It was a wildly exotic tale for an 11 year old girl living in the woods in industrial Western Pennsylvania, and since I listed it as one of the three 'unforgettable reads from my childhood', I can't wait to read it again. And my Mom wasn't even mad at me for reading it!

I read this book when I was in College, oh about 20+ years ago. I have read more books than I can count since then. I am horrible about remembering Authors, Titles and story lines. This is one of the very FEW that I remembered them ALL. I think that this book should be a classic to be read in schools along the lines of "A Scarlett Letter", "Ethan Frome" and others.

I will be purchasing this book for my daughter to read and pass on to my sons...Truly a classic...Too bad Mr. Robbins abandoned his true talent.

Harold Robbins, as he became more successful, mastered the art of the pulp fiction stereotype and much of his later work was pure trash. But his initial novels demonstrated what talent the man had, and are as different from his later trash as cheese from chalk. A Stone For Danny Fisher is his best book ever in my opinion : had he never written another book, this alone would have made him an author to remember.

Set in Depression era New York (Robbins himself was born and raised in Brooklyn, though in vastly better circumstances), this is a coming of age story with a difference. Danny Fisher narrates his own story in the first person, starting with a short, stark depiction of his family meeting at a pre-arranged place and then cutting to flashback mode to explain why. He tells of a Jewish kid growing up in the gritty streets of hard-bitten Brooklyn, battling anti-Semitic abuse, using boxing as a way of escaping the economic fates closing in on his family. No punches are pulled as we experience with Danny the world of organised crime, first as victim, then as onlooker, finally as willing (even enthusiastic) participant. Danny is an anti-hero here, but rarely a villain, so sympathetically and starkly are his story and dilemmas painted. Reading it the first time as a teenager, this book had me outraged and disillusioned repeatedly as Danny takes his knocks and too often faces rejection, even betrayal. At heart, he is still a little boy and remains so till the bitter-sweet ending, where the flashback ends and we rejoin the opening scene.

A high quality book, a story that grips the heart, a sparse writing style that wastes no words, a glimpse at the best and worst of human life. Highly recommended.

The All American All The Way is the best book I ever read!!!
There is no foul language that I remember. It takes you through training to Berlin.
The 82nd Airborn Division stood and hooked up to jump the first mass combat jump in history, on July 10th 1943. Badly scattered on the drop,they looked at their maps to see if they knew where they were. Finally they arrived where they needed to be and in do time were fighting a small band of forces so they thought, but turned out to be tanks accompanied by infantry.
If you want to know more about the 82nd Airbore buy this book!

My father served in the 82nd with 504th parachute regiment from its inception to the war's end. He talked very little about his experiences. Mr. Nordyke's marvelous book, with its accounts by the men who fought the battles, helped me to know my dad better. It will help anyone to understand what combat is really like and the great heroism of these ordinary Americans - almost all of them mere boys. Highly recommended.

I've just finished reading "All American All The Way" and I must say that this book is by far the very best book written on any WWII unit that I have read. With many veteran accounts, Mr. Nordyke takes the reader along from airborne training, the formation of the division, and the actions that the division participated in from Sicily through Germany.

One can almost hear the roar of battle as the author, and the veterans describe fighting in the hedgerows in Normandy, or street fighting in Holland. I very highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in WWII history.

What can I say... This is one of the best works of military non-fiction, I have ever had the joy of reading. At first sight of the book, I was a little daunted by it's size. However, due to the fluidic quality of Phil's excellent writing, I found it to be an effortless read. The research involved behind this book is immense, and it thoroughly gripped me, all the way. I've not read such a book of this calibre, in a very long time. The action and information contained within, left me feeling that I had personally been fighting along side with these brave men, all the way!

This book provides a superb, first hand, graphic insight into the life and hardships of the 82nd Airborne campaigns, throughout the European theatre of operations. Sicily, Italy, Normandy, Holland, Belgium and the German `Siegfried' line, breakthrough.

It's difficult to find criticism, other than the accounts of life while they were camped in England, during 1944, are a little vague. And my interest in the Division stems from the fact that the 80th Anti-Tank and the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment were billeted only a mile or two, up the road from me, in Leicester. However, this doesn't detract from the fact it's an excellent read.

The quality of this hardback it of the highest, along with the inclusion of excellent maps illustrating the campaigns, and many archive photographs from the time.

I'm now at a loss as what to read after this book. This book's a tough act to follow. It's clear, exciting and most thought provoking. A must read for anyone interested in the 82nd Airborne Division, and the European theatre of operations during the Second World War.

This is a very extensive, impressive and total history of the 82nd airborne division, what was called by Generals in WWII as the greatest division of the time (of course the 101st airborne would probably argue that). The scope of this book is amazing. In its 776 pages (yes, it is long but very interesting), it lays out all the campaigns fought in WWII including Sicily, Salerno, Italy, Normandy, Netherlands, the Bulge, and Germany. And, the book tells the story at the individual unit (down to company and platoon) and individual level. It is told in the words of the heroes who fought in the 82nd during the war. As mentioned in one review, this should become the standard for not only this division but for any division for laying out the story of the heroism and the tragedy of this war.

If you are reading this review, you have been sucked in by the title, probably because you somehow relate. If so, then the topic is of huge significance to you. The book is solid, and the content reflects the title.

Regardless of your background, if you have a Christian faith and desire to live out that faith with your children, then bring your highlighter and keep notes as you read.

Not everyone comes into parenting with great childhood experiences to draw from. Even if you did have a safe upbringing, ALL parents are forging a new way for their children. We are all "pioneers". This book is a wealth of information, and challenges you to re-evaluate how and why you do what you do and believe what you believe. Mary DeMuth shares her personal journey of overcoming her painful past. She offers great hope & encouragement to all parents. You will glean from her writing, no matter what your story is.

Building The Christian Family You Never Had is a must read for every couple contemplating having children, every parent who has children, and every adult who found life with their parents difficult or confusing. Not have the right role model can be frustrating--even confusing. But thanks to DeMuth's great advice we can learn to let go of the past, foster positive parenting skills, and shield our children from the negative influences others have left on our lives and continue to drill into our psyche.

Mary's book is a MUST READ; not only for every parent, but also for everyone who has ever had a parent. Her insights into family dynamics are revealing and instructive. Her words bring healing and resolution. Mary's skill as a writer makes her Guide for Pioneer Parents an enjoyable, fast-moving read. But watch out - one time through will NOT be enough! You will want to keep this Guide around to read over and over.

Of the three excellent books of Mary's I have been priviledged to read, this is the one that has had me most riveted to each nugget of truth. I am a quick reader, and usually don't read a book twice in a year but this one has me dipping into it almost daily. I have read and re-read the chapters, blinking in the freshness as I absorbed and processed each life altering concept. It has revolutionised my way of life, the sense of who I am, how fragile we are and how Great is Our God. It has given me a glimpse of the Father heart of God and my husband and I have turned our mistaken foundation of parenting back to the example in the Word, thanks to reading this book. I am also peeling away the 'onion layers' of my own childhood.

Mary is a highly proficient messenger of the truth. Her words fly directly from the heart of the healer in my belief and I am honoured to have walked through the pages of her journey and find my own healing in that experience.

Get this book. Even if you have the most Christian upbringing possible. Especially then.

Not so long ago I saw Caribbean Elegance at a friend's house. My friend was gracious enough to lend it to me to read. After reading it, I felt I should have my own copy, so I ordered a copy from amazon.com.

Not only is Dr. Connors' narrative comprehensively informative and enjoyable, but Bruce Buck's photographs are absolutely beautiful.

Together they have introduced me to a heretofore, to me at least, world of fascinating furniture and decorative arts. Kudos to Dr. Connors and Mr. Buck.

I look forward to acquiring the rest of their work.

This book has great pictures of West Indian furniture and its focus is only on the furniture. I was looking for some ideas on how to design using this style, but not much can be gotten directly on how to do this from this book. However, I did come away with a good sense of the various influences on the West Indian style.

I have owned this book for over a year and always thought it was an excellent book but wasn't inspired to write a review until just recently, when I received a new book I purchased called "Caribbean Style". This book, "Caribbean Elegance", is everything that the other book is not. I love this book! The photography is incredible, encompasing everything from the smallest furniture detail or accessory, to entire historical exteriors & interiors, and exquisite scenery!
The text gives a detailed history of the settlers and islands, really giving you an understanding of how the various styles of West Indies architecture and furnishings came into being. It also distingushes the furnishings by their various European influences, such as Spanish, English or Dutch, among others. As an interior designer I found this book fascinating and educational. But even for someone who just has a love of the islands, the photography alone is worth the price of the book.

This book had some interesting facts, but as an interior designer who was looking for inspirational pictures for room designs I thought it had moderate value.

This book was exactly what I was searching for. Not only is it visually stunning, but it provides a wealth of historical information on Caribbean style and furnishing. A wonderful resource if you want to understand how this very unique style of interior design came to be.

Recently I was reminded of this awesome book, which I loved to have read to me when I was a young child. I'm so excited to share it with my new niece and nephew! Wonderful story line of determination, and emphasis that one can be whatever one chooses to be.

This book was handed down to us from other family members who read it to their kids years ago. We loved it as much as they did and ended up buying a copy to give to our school. Highly recommended.

my daughter enjoyed this book when she was small. so much so that it looked very well used now my granddaughter is enjoying the book and it fast becoming her favorite book to read

Even though it isn't a "funny" book, I find myself utterly amused
with the pictures. The story is simple and charming.
The book is a classic in my eyes, and very special to me. I hope it will be for you too.

My daughter (she's six) just finished reading this book herself, out loud to me at bedtime. It took her four or five nights to read the three short chapters.

In the middle of the book, when Pickles the cat has a small triumph, she said "it makes me cry!" and at the end she said "I wish it just kept going". I felt so glad for her to have the experience of what it's like to read a good book - these are the feelings that make one a real book lover for life!

Like another recent reviewer I thought the pictures a little crude but the cats were remarkably cat-like; there was no effort to make them cute or cuddley. Yet, perhaps because of that simplicity, Pickles invokes a strong sense of feeling/identification as the he "grows" into a better cat through the three short chapters.

I think this was the perfect book for my daughter to read at this time. Just challenging enough, a great story and illustrations that work very well with the story. I'm also am glad to find a good children's book that's NOT about a boy (though Pickles IS a "he"); I'm sure all parents with daughters know that the vast majority of kid's books are about boy hero (yes I know there are some excellent exceptions) so a wonderful book that's not about a boy is a great find.

There's not much more to to add to the glowing reviews already here. I just wanted to say that the kids go crazy for Fireman Small. I like that he is such a sweet caring firefighter who goes out of his way to help everyone. I love any book that instills compassion in its readers. We love Fireman Small!!!

My 2 1/2 year old son absolutely loves this book..the illustrations are lovely, and it is so much fun to read with him. He has already remembered all the words, and fills in most of the gaps as we read it together. He is crazy about fire engines and firemen. I can't recommend this book enough.

My 2-year old follows this story pretty well (it has a repetitive-type storyline) and caught on quickly to the page turn cues (siren). He loves all the sound effects throughout the story. The illustrations are eye catching as well and help tell the story for a child that doesn't read yet. The price is reasonable considering how hard these cassette read-along are to find!

This is a sweet story with a nice flow and repetition. My 2 1/2 year old son has immediately begun pretending to be Fireman Small saving the kitty and the baby bunny. I will definitely look into other books by this author.

I picked this up thinking that it would be another good fireman book for my fireman-obsessed five-year-old. It certainly is that, but the flow and the structure also make it an excellent help-your-child-to-fall-asleep story. The basic plot is that Fireman Small is very tired and keeps trying to go to bed, but each time he does some new emergency happens that forces him to get up one more time. When he's done with the last one, everybody thanks him for all his help and he oh-so-happily drifts off to sleep. I usually read him several stories at bedtime, but I like to make sure that this is the last one; by the time we're through with it he's usually nodding off.

One small problem; Wong seems to have a unique sense of rhythm, which makes this harder to read aloud then you might expect; it took me a couple of readings before I felt that I had gotten it completely right. With practice, though, it flows beautifully.

For years I'd scoffed at Bishop N.T. Wright thinking him a backward-looking, anti-intellectual Christian with nothing to say to the contemporary world. I was wrong. And I'm glad to say this book started it all.

After reading several books on revisionist views of Jesus, I've concluded (very, very reluctantly) that the Jesus presented in "Following Jesus" is the only Jesus really worth following. Here Wright gives us a glimpse of the Jesus of the gospels, a Jesus who is the Savior of the World, a Jesus who makes huge demands on our lives and calls us to follow Him to Calvary. This Jesus tells us disturbing things about ourselves, the world, and how both are in need of repair. The good news, as Wright points out, is that G-d has begun to recreate the world through Jesus of Nazareth. In this short book of sermons, Wright shows the new creation appearing by looking at Jesus' teaching, his healings and, perhaps most of all, his resurrection. The new creation has already begun, yet it will fully arrive in the Age to Come.

This book set my heart aflame for the Christian hope. Although the world suffers and humans fail in love (again and again), there is a G-d who raises the dead, a fact that--when it's internalized--gives life its proper focus.

Thank you, Bishop Wright, for this powerful little book.

This is my first foray into N.T. Wright's literary discipleship. This is good written stimulus that will lead you to a deeper understanding of who Jesus is. This collection of Eucharistic sermons expands from the passion of Christ to the revelation of the Father's plan for true discipleship. The language is easy to read and Dean Wright uses great words and pharases to lead us further along. N.T. Wright has become one of my must read theologians.

I don't know why I received this request for a review. I have not ordered "Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship" by NT Wright. I have only ordered Wright's "Simply Christian".

You appear to have a processing glitch somewhere.

Regards,
Sue Huntington

This book, though brief, contains a treasure chest of Wright's knowledge on the life and significance of Jesus. In "Following Jesus", Wright seeks to answer the question, "Who exactly is this Jesus that we claim to follow?"

With the thought that many Christians might not know exactly who Jesus is, due to years of watered down religion, Wright uses different books of the Bible, along with personal scholarship, to extract who Jesus was and what that means to those who follow him.

A phenomenal read. Extremely enlightening and refreshing.

Tom Wright, Anglican bishop in England, once again elucidates in a cogent but thoroughly readable style that only he can what it means to follow Jesus. If one is a sometime Christian who does not want to 'count the cost' of what it means to 'be Jesus' to a hurting world, you'd better avoid this book. In a world full of evangelists who promise 'what's in it for us' if we follow Jesus, Tom Wright challenges us to really take up the cross and follow the Lord. As a Southern Baptist, I can't think of another theologian, of whatever denomination, that is more challenging and encouraging than Tom Wright. Buy it, but be prepared to keep your marker handy.

Every once in a while someone is affected by cancer or a sickness. This book Guardian of Angels by Lurlene McDaniel shows how problems can affect a family. A young girl named Darcy fears that her mother won't get better because she hasn't been well since she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has been constantly in and out of the hospital. Darcy's mother has great hope that she will be better in no time. Darcy has to trust her mother and she has to try to keep her life moving along just like it was before her mother became sick.

The family is soon overwhelmed with Darcy's sister, Adel, getting married and her mother being sick. After the wedding Adel is planning on moving to Germany and this is when Darcy and their father need her the most.

Will Darcy's mother ever get better and will her family ever be the same again? Find out by reading Garden of Angels by Lurlene McDaniel.

Garden of Angels is a wonderful book about a girl named Darcy who's mother gets a rude a-waking by cancer. As her family and friends help Darcy's mother with her illness, Darcy meets a boy named Jason, who helps Darcy face reilty. But can Darcy's mother live and fight this cancer or will medial science fail her. The most needed question to be answer is: Are the Angels watching over Darcy and her family?

Lurlene McDaniel is one of my most favorite authors, and this book is by far one of the most inspiring books you could ever read. It's about a girl whose beloved mother gets struck with breast cancer, and her world is never the same again.

McDaniel writes with such flair that you can hardly bring yourself to put the book down. The ending is very sad, but also leaves you with a feeling of hope. This book teaches us that while we may not get to choose what happens to us, we do get to choose how we respond. This book reveals that people don't always get what they deserve, whether they be good or bad.

If you haven't read this book yet, then I highly recommend you read it. You won't be disappointed.

Some parts of this book were excellent. I loved the whole story, until I got to the epolouge. Why did Jason have to die? And why is Darcey living in the mountains? Although the epolouge isn't the best, and the story is rather predictable (mom dies, Jason liked Darcey all along, Connors would develop) it was an all in all good book. I would recomend it to anyone who wants to know Lurlene a little bit more.

After Darcy Quinlin finds out her mother has breast cancer, she is deeply saddened and in disbelief. She is also loosing her sister, Adel, to Barry Sorensen, a soldier in Vietnam. Above all that, there is J.T. who pushes her around especially when she falls hard for Pastor Jim's brother-in-law, Jason, who just moved to Connors. Darcy needs comfort and someone to talk to about boys, feelings, and school problems and her mother can't be that person. Neither can Adel because she is moving far away with Barry. Her mother did leave a beautiful garden that Darcy takes care of and it helps her through her many situations now and to come.
I liked this book because it was different from other Lurlene McDaniel books. In this book the girl doesn't have cancer, like in many other books, it's her mother. Also, this book is set in the 1970's during the Vietnam War.
I would recommend this book to teenage girls who like sad, loving stories or like other Lurlene McDaniel books.