V Books

One Day She'll Darken: The Mysterious Beginnings of Fauna Hodel

Audrey Hepburn loved her children and all the children of the world...Sean honors his mother...we all honor his mother...a mother to so many...indeed...an elegant spirit...

The photos here are lovingly chosen by her son, and the entire book is an absolute joy.

This book was pleasant and thoughtful, as is its subject. Though admittedly the writing was far less enchanting than I would have expected; I like to think it was kept simple to further emphasize the simplicity and sincerity of Audrey herself. This book did not add any revelation for the reader about her life; but instead, allowed for a glance at Audrey Hepburn's everyday existence. I was constantly amazed at how strong and genuine her character when faced with life's sometimes complicated decisions. This book shows Audrey as a person who effortlessly put others before herself, and seemed to never question her sense of what is right.

Even the idea of such simplicity has become a fairytale in our lives, and it is so refreshing to read about someone who was capable of remaining so solidly pure, that I cannot help but read a little more. One need only look to her work with UNICEF to know how first-rate she truly was.

She has allways been one of my favorite stars.The book has a beautifull
lay-out and is a pleasure to read.Lots of photographs never seen before
and beautifull passages about her work for Unicef and what a wonderful mother she was.I can highly recommend this book.

Bought this as a gift for my daughter as she is a fan and thought that the personal insights were revealing and poignant.

I love this book. It is one of my favs. out of all 13 books

i have read all of the daughter of the moon books several times
they are all totaly awesome.serena is getting possessed she is not acting like her self.you will not regret readingthese books i've allready gotten friends to read the books and one of my teachers wanted to read it!!!!!!!!!!

i thought this book was amazing ! it was so good but it was also really sad with stanton...i think serena is just so cool and i lyk that she has that dark side which cna keep her with stanton

This book was good. We find out in the end that Serena has a 3rd choice, unlike the other Daughters. You have to read the book becasue I am not telling you what it is. This book is also revloving around Serena and Stanton again. Hopefully thought her next one won't be.

Payasa


Possession was an AWSOME book, like all of the other Daughter of the Moon books! It was about a girl named Serena who can read minds. All of her friends have powers too. She was running away from Jerome, a boy who has a total crush on Serena, but she tottaly hates him, and she bumps into this old lady who gives her some potion stuff. She wakes up hours later and walks home, but a black Lexus follows her. She went to sleep with an awful headache. She wakes up to find herself in the kitchen with words writen in her own blood'"YOU'RE NOT ALONE ANYMORE". Her friend, Catty's, mom invited them to read the future in a coffee cup, and she saw snakes, which means "an enemy has come to visit". Serena gets spaces in time where she can't remember anything. She starts to get really freaked. She finds the old woman and she is able to undo the curse by fighting the followers that the old woman is leading along with Lambart.This is a great book and I highly recomend it for readers that have read the rest of the series because it just gets better with every book. For those who haven't read any other books in the series, I recomend it if you like present day fantasy based in Los Angeles.

I'm in my late twenties and I love this book! I am a huge Tinkerbell fan and this book gives a glimpse into her make-believe world. The picures are gorgeous!

Purchased this for my daughter as a 5th birthday gift. She loves the disney fairy books, and this book gives detail to everything. The size of each fairy and her hobbies. The size of the home tree and all of the rooms. It goes on and on about the fairies (by name) and contains beautiful illustrations! Perfect gift for a little girl.

In the Realm of the Never Fairies: The Secret World of Pixie Hollow, designed by Elizabeth Ryazantseva and Megan Krempels, is a gorgeous look at Tinker Bell's neighborhood. With text by Monique Peterson and lavish illustrations by The Disney Storybook Artists, the book details the hobbies, homes, and habits of different types of fairies that live in Never Never Land. This is a beautiful addition to any art-appreciative library, home or school, and a must-have for any Tinker Bell fan.

Both of my grandaughters (ages 10 and 7) are heavily into the Disney Fairies world. They loved the book. The illustrations are beautiful.

I love this book. I bought it for the younger kids who use the school library I work in, but my 8th graders won't give it up! They love it. A great book for all ages.

I agree with the positive comments concerning the books complexity. Yet, I found the phrase "none the less" to be used profusely and way too much. One reviewer commented that the characters tend to speak the same. I believe these instances (along with the phrase) are, however, signs of editorial errors. Although not a professional in the field, I would hope that a reviewer for publication would note these concerns and suggest that this is a problem to the author, who may be too immersed in the plot design to notice.

On the other hand, I disagree with the negative comment regarding overuse of character's titles. Sometimes this makes the reading easier with so many characters and it provides diversity rather than repetitive naming. Moreover, in some cases such as the historian in the second book, a title may be used by others as a sign of respect. As a reader, I felt that the people placed great honor on the role of historian as she or he would tell the tale to others and for future generations.

These minor concerns don't remove a star for me but could enhance the readability.

Fair warning... I haven't read the whole series yet, in fact I'm only on the fourth book, so to be honest I'm not sure the series will continue as strongly as this third book appears to.

That said, this book makes some of the slowness and incredible denseness of the first two books worthwhile. At this point in the series, Erikson has introduced many of his major characters and while he introduces more and takes the already introduced characters to a new place, there is at least some familiarity and cohesion now for the reader to hold onto. This book is also much more of a sequel to "Gardens of the Moon" than it is to "Deadhouse Gates" (which had an almost completely different cast of characters and took place in a completely different area of the world portrayed than did the first book). Events in "Deadhouse Gates" are mentioned in passing, but the focus is on the characters and general area of "Gardens of the Moon".

So what makes this book worthy of a 5 star rating for me?

In addition to yet again ending with some stunning imagery and scenes (I won't give much away, but let's just say that Erikson isn't afraid to shake things up, sometimes so quickly that I had to stop to reread a section to make sure I'd read it correctly), Erikson ties events in the first book to this book's prologue (which by the way is the first bit of this series I'd ever read, and is excellently done). Not only that, but when the actual connections are made after the prologue itself, it suddenly changed my perception of the first book's linked events. I won't go into much detail, but suffice it to say, I thought the linking was very well done.

One of Erikson's weaknesses in the first book was characterization. Obviously, if you have a ton of characters being introduced, there's not going to be much of a chance for each individual one to be fleshed out to the same extent as books that focus on far fewer characters. However, this book did add a bit more fleshing out, and as a consequence, made at least some of the characters much more three dimensional.

I realize I've covered almost nothing of the plot. The main thrust of the story regards a military operation against a new threat to the Malazan Empire. There's political intrigue to spare. Individuals end up on their own quests. Loose ends abound. In other words, the plot itself is similar to the first two books in feel, even if the specifics are different. What becomes obvious is that there is much more going on beneath the surface of the story and Erikson seems to be a master at giving just enough to make the reader itch like crazy to find out more, while not giving away his secrets too quickly.

Simply put, Erikson's writing style is much more mature and surefooted in this novel than it was in "Gardens of the Moon" and even "Deadhouse Gates". He continues to impress with the ability to paint vivid scenes, including epic ones that rival anything I've read. And finally, by tying together some loose ends (which the reader really didn't even realize were loose to begin with) he makes the previously read "Gardens of the Moon" a better book in retrospect. The series may not be for everyone, but the payoff in this novel is worth some of the rough edges in the first two.

With Memories of Ice, Erikson adds another great title to the Malazan series. This third installment continues the grittiness and maturity of the first two and adds some interesting characters to the mix. As in all of the fantasy that I enjoy, no one is safe, regardless of their seeming importance to the story line so you will likely lose a character that you like, but that's what keeps the suspense real. I love Erikson's ability to build life into his characters and indeed the story is driven by them rather than having them simply respond to events on a plotline. Overall it was a great read and a wonderful contribution to one of the best series in fantasy today.

As far as criticisms are concerned, there are only a couple from my perspective. One is that the author's writing style, while having a distinctly mature and gritty feel, can be stylistically difficult to follow at times. Not impossible by any means, and not enough to significantly diminish the impact or enjoyability of the book as a whole, but complicated nonetheless. The only other thing that I found irksome is the repeated and heavy overuse of the expression 'growled' as in "Go away", he growled. It seems everyone in this book is constantly growling. Again, little thing but you will almost certainly notice it as it is VERY prevalent.

Overall I would highly recommend this and all of the Malazan books. And if you like the feel and story of these, give R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series a try as well, you won't be disappointed.

The saga continues - I love this guy's writing and thoroughly enjoy just about every word he writes. Don't often read "slowly", but these books I do. Start from the first book and read them all.

Memories of Ice continues the same dragging on style that was introduced in Deadhouse Gates. Characters don't talk like real people, instead referring to each other by rank over and over again. There are so many passages that simply serve to show how cool some characters are in combat, others that repeat ad nauseum how some characters feel only one emotion. These all could have been cut out and the story would remain the same. Adding insult to injury is how some characters act unbelievably stupid for no reason whatsoever with childish dialogue and pointless expositions about the history of the gods of race A. Unfortunately there are so many gods and goddesses that no one will care about the gods of race A.

People in Erikson's world rarely simply say things or smile like normal people. Rather they growl, scowl, grin, and grunt. The mark of a poor writer. Some of the prose gets really pretentious and flowery at times, the magic descriptions are still vague, ("waves of sorcery," etc.), and really, if you want good writing you're not reading fantasy anyway. But this series is notorious for it.

Characters are ludicrously overpowered as usual; the Seguleh and the Kell Hunters (Sorry, the K'Chain Challe'Malle. Wow, someone's making really big and ancient sounding names to try and sound important!) can literally move at the speed of light, Lady Envy and her minions are unkillable, not to mention Rake can kill hundreds of people instantly with his dragon's breath and Caladan Brood and cause earthquakes with his hammer. Normally I wouldn't say Erikson substitutes uber powers to characters in favor of their development but 500+ pages in and the only thing I know about these gods and demigods is that they can pwn, well, the criticism suddenly becomes a lot more legit.

Despite Erikson's anthropology degree, he doesn't portray alternate societies in a positive light. The Barghast are shown to be savages and nothing more; the only reason they're presented as spiritual is because they were simply being forced to by the demigods and gods. One Barghast character can without exaggeration be summed up as, "Me so horny. Me love you long time." The Tellann Imass (looks a lot better than T'lan Imass doesn't it?) are just war mongering idiots. Great reading we got going here.

The few characters who aren't overpowered are either boring or stupid; the majority of the Bridgeburner characters here are the equivalent of crazies in a mental hospital and their antics which are supposed to amuse will really only appeal to equally twisted people. The ludicrous names like Gruntle and Picker get tiresome after a while. The other normal characters dwell constantly on their brooding psuedo-existential monologues, which only serve to bore and snore because anyone who pays attention to the story will only be reminded of the characters' thoughts, not informed.

Looking for a book to pander away from the typical fantasy mold? This isn't it, contrary to what Erikson's apologists will tell you. Women are under classed here even more than typical fantasy books. There's a lesbian scene as well as a rape scene, one woman is cursed to age rapidly as compared to the other curses in the book, and another foreign culture character starts a relationship with another character that is, "Hey, wanna do it?" "Sure thing sexy lady!" There are also lots of prophecies, destines, wizards hiding secrets, dark gods, and whatnot. It's not that typical fantasy is bad, but myths need to be dispelled.

Things take a really long time to get anywhere too. By 100 pages, you have a clear conflict, a set of protagonists and antagonists, and stakes. It's enough to interest anyone. Naturally what should follow is events that build up a resolution to these conflicts. This happens but it takes about 600 pages to do so and most of that is fluff. By the time of the resolution, you've lost interest. Instead there's conversations which really have no relevance. Example: Murillio and friends are talking about how witty Kruppe is with past events they've done together, referencing names and places you won't know or care about. Erikson's character development is forced because he's telling you that things and characters are cool, instead of just showing why we should care about anything that happens in this world.

On the plus side, the world can be beautiful. There are some interesting descriptions, particularly the Seer's tower in Outlook. The world is beautifully twisted, which is probably one of the few reasons I continue to read these books. There are tons of originally designed races, places, and characters, namely the demigods and gods, who, despite their one-dimensional uberness, are pretty cool. Sadly that novelty fades quickly but it's nice while it's there. Interestingly enough I'm interested in buying Midnight Tides simply so I can see Silchas Ruin, who I'm only interested in because he's Anomander Rake's brother. That's all.

So while Malazan is surely pretty and has an interesting backstory, its problem is that its [...].

Sam Rocks!

I saw Sam speak at Mark Victor Hansen's Mega Speaking Event and I can tell you, she knows how to captivate an audience. Sam has a genuine style that comes across as sincere, professional, and experienced.

If you've never seen her speak, you're missing out. Sam delivers on content, humor, and info that each of us wants. She helps people re-evaluate their thinking in order to connect in a personal way with your audience by re-creating statements for personal branding.

Sam will teach you how to be creative in away that's practical. Pop is not about hype, it's about bringing your message to your people in a way that is unique and powerful at the same time.

I found that POP is for anyone who wants an edge over the competition because it's not about cheesy tactics to woo people, it's more about reaching people with the essence of who you are and transforming it in a punchy way in order to attract people to what you are selling/marketing.

I recommend it because it's valuable for people wanting to cut to the chase and grab the gems.

Need something different, something special to kick your business into overdrive? You'll find it in POP. When Sam Horn says you can stand out in any crowd, believe her! Rather than just talking about it, Sam Horn shows you how to make your own business "pop."

Like a cookbook, POP is filled with recipes to inspire your imagination with fresh ideas and fun exercises. Start anywhere. Keep going until you arrive at your own unique inspiration.

Way out of the ordinary . . . step out of the mundane and become extraordinary! Innovate with Sam Horn! This book can help you get there.

Five Stars and then some!

This is an amazing book! Sam shares with her readers new ways to grab our audience's interest and attention. She really does know how to help people get noticed in a crowd. This book has shown me how to positively inspire others to read my book, LifeChimes: A Collection of Simple TruthsLifeChimes: A Collection of Simple Truths, when they are looking for simple ways to stop zapping their energy. Because of Sam Horn's book, my work as an author and a motivational speaker has been made so much easier. Thanks Sam!

I'm an advertising copywriter. The one thing I have to do every day is to come up with fresh ideas for myself and my clients. I have to keep learning and growing. And I want my messages to stand out from the crowd. I'm pretty good at that. But, after reading this book, I'm better!

If you love words, you'll love this book. You'll learn how to create slogans and elevator pitches and messages of all kinds. You'll learn how to make them powerful and how to make people remember you, your brand, or business or whatever you want them to remember.

You may already be a good writer. But you'll be a better writer, a writer who sells, if you follow the advice in this book.

Above all, your message will make you stand out from the crowd.

The thing is, not much does stand out from the crowd. Most slogans are the same. Most messages are the same or similar. So, if you're different, you'll be more successful.

This is an excellent book. Get a copy now --- unless you're one of my competitors.

An awesome book for jazzing up your writing and speaking. Sam Horn crams so many ideas for creating buzz and imprinting your message and brand in the minds of listeners and readers that I found myself making checklists as I ran through the draft of my last book trying to find places I could use her principles and ideas. It's not all about marketing either. She has great ideas on the use of stories and quotes in your writing, how to create memorable content using lists and alliteration, and plenty of other techniques to make your writing come alive.

It's easy and fun to read as Sam is very clearly one of her own best students. Her writing is tight and wonderfully informative with no filler. The ideas are things nearly anyone that has to communicate (verbally or in writing) can use right away.

I felt a little bit self conscious rating this 5 stars: every other reviewer thus far has given it 5 stars as well. But 5 stars it is! I'd say that's a pretty clear message about the strength of the material.

It's the best marketing lesson you can buy for $15.

Wow!!! This book has impacted my faith only short of the bible itself. It clarifies, with scripture, the true purpose of Christ coming to earth to re-establish God's Kingdom, through His sacrafice. Every "why" is addressed. Why 2000 years, why did He die the way He died, why didn't God just come down and deal with satan Himself, and many many more wonderful answers that puts joyful tears in your eyes and peace in your heart. Simply awesome.

This book takes the simple and sheds light. It takes religion to complicate things - This is a good reminder that we are here for relationship not religion, and of the beauty and simplicity of the gospel! Great book, Thanks Dr. Munroe!

There are times as a Christian that we need a little more insight. This book by Myles Munroe helps you to understand more clearly some of Gods Word and plans for our life as Christians. This book will help you put some Godly plans into action.

For the first time in my life as a believer I am understanding what God intended for us. The Scriptures have been clear but my thinking was incorrect, off -track, muddled by cultural circumstances. Dr. Munroe takes you step by step into the Word of God and emphasizes what JESUS said, did and wants for us. My thinking is changed, my perspective is different. I am applying the Word of God to my life and it works. Every believer needs to read this book... with the Word. Wish I had learned about kingdom principles as a chld as my entire life would have taken a different path. From this point onward I am thinking and living Kingdom of God!!

This book is a must read for everyone who wants to know the true and the ministry and purpose of Jesus Christ mission on earth. This teaching on the Kingdom needs to be taught in the churches around the world. I'm including schools, governments, and companies big and small to get the understanding. I will be buying this and the other teaching books and CD's on the Kingdom to invest in my bishop pastor friends and family.
Really understand what Matt6:33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness get the book...

This is a little treasure chest of wonderful stories that truly are uplifting. I really did enjoy reading this book!

I read SMALL MIRACLES, some years ago. This seems to be the same book, exactly, although, when I ordered it, I thought it was a sequel. I liked it better the first time around, when the anecdotes sounded more "golly-gee-wiz" than they do the second.

Miracles happen every day. Yitta Halberstam and Judith Leventhal are angels themselves, bringing these fantastic stories to millions of people. Buy and read every single one of their books. Not only are they hard to put down, you won't be able to look at your life with the same eyes ever again!

A really lovely little book that helps even the worst days.

I found this unique book of coincidences to be remarkable. While the authors relate it to Jewish principles, giving a moral or rule at the end of each 'episode,' their statements are applicable to those of all faiths.
There were short, short stories, short stories and those a few pages long. But all showed the positive human spirit that exists in everyone of us if we give ourselves a chance and don't close our minds. Sometimea a bad choice becomes a great move. An ordinary act becomes heroic to those on both sides. And, almost always, WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND. There are no stories of coincidences that backfired, although one can be sure scores of these exist too. But the purpose is to bring joy, hope,
confidence and more open-mindedness to the readers, with the desire that they will share this with many more. A brilliant person with a promising
future suddenly gets terminal lung cancer. But the person telling it mentions some small act that was done, often out of common courtesy. And in this case, one of the six items the dying person wanted in his casket was a letter of encouragement from the teacher.

This is a book for teachers, educators and all who desire to be educated.
I acquired it for $.50 at a flea market booth, after just noticing the
colorful (but also bland) yellow cover. This is the best $5.00 expenditure
I've ever made. I'll share my copy with others and have ordered another
version. Whether you are in the dumps or feeling great, the stories will
heighten your consciousness and create more appreciation for your present lot. I am fortunate to have found it. Please consider my words. Advice
is worthless. Words from the heart can be meaningful. My heart speaks.

Great children's book. It's a fun way to encourage and read with your child.

This books is wonderful! I am using it in small groups at work and the kids absolutely cannot get enough of this book. I bought all titles in the series! Great for paired reading among siblings, parents and children, and friends!

Our students really love all the books in this series. They frequently choose them to read to each other during free choice time. I would really recommend this book to other teachers as a great source for oral reading practice!

My seven year-old grandson introduced me to Mary Ann Hoberman's work. He loved reading to and with me. I'm a volunteer reading tutor and I use her books to teach first graders to read. They love it.

I highly recommend the books by Mary Ann Hoberman to excited kids about reading.

Judith Hays

I love Mary Anne Hoberman's "The Cozy Book", it is always a great bedtime story. So, when I found this title on Amazon, I couldn't resist. My son is 7 and enjoys reading, so this was perfect for us; he reads to me, I read to him, and we read the last verse together. The stories are cute and short, good if you only have a few minutes at the end of the day. The emphasis on reading is an added bonus.

Phillip Done portrays life as a teacher in a humorous, enjoyable manner. His writing style is engaging and easy to read. As a teacher, it's easy to relate to many of the stories he shares. I enjoyed the book so much, I bought a copy to share with my co-workers. A fun, must-read for all teachers dedicated to the task of helping children build upon their self-esteem as well as grow academically.

As a third grade teacher I just want to say that Mr. Done has put my classroom into words-thank you, it makes me feel good to know that all third grade teachers are in the same boat, and enjoying the ride....most of the time.

If you want to laugh until you cry, then read this book! Phillip Done captures all the joys of teaching and expresses it in a way that is hilarious. As I tried to share passages with my family, I couldn't get it out because I was laughing so hard. Anyone who has taught or is starting their first year of teaching should definitely read this. You will be truly inspired!

If you teach, this is a MUST read!

Mr. Done was my fourth grade teacher. I was positively THRILLED when I realized he had written a book. He was, by far, one of my most memorable teachers to this day. His book is amazing, and brought back a lot of awesome memories I have of elementary school. Excellent read.

I have used these books since Access 97. Absolutely invaluable to learn how to do anything you want. Don't expect it to cover what's in help, they go where help doesn't.

Is there going to be a 2007 version?

This book has everything you will need to creat Access based applications. A ton of great advice and clean coding. The index is very useful and well written.

I purchased this 2 book set in hopes of advancing my knowledge of Access and VBA. I could not find any useful information on functions such as DateAdd, DatePart, Nz, DLookup, DSum, DCount, etc. These are major parts of Access and are very useful once you learn them, but the Developers Handbook does not even cover these functions and how to use them. Or if it does, you can't find out where by searching the index. I've yet to find any information I'm looking for in these books.

It has already been said, Simply the best! I'm finding more and more Web sites/threaded discussions using or pointing to the code found in the Access Developer's Handbook and VBA Developer's Handbook.

The ShellBrowse functions alone to be extremely helpful.

Thanks to Ken, Paul, and Mike

I am a software developer and have been in business since 1982. I have never gotten more bank for my buck than with these books. I didn't think Access was worth a flip for program development until I bought these books. I have since developed a vertical market package for the seafood industry that sells itself by demo. Thanks Ken, Paul and Mike.