English Books

A tale of growing up and acceptance with a strong female lead who shows, without being ultra feminist, that girls can accomplish anything that boys can.

Admittedly a huge fan of the "women-warrior, disguised as a man" characters, I have been disappointed time and again by peoples take on them, but not this time. The take on magic, the involvement of the gods, and the world, which holds different morals, gave to a very interesting atmosphere for the books to be set in. Alanna is a character that I couldn't help cheering for, and identifying with.

Granted as others point out, this is very obviously a first novel that will kick-off a series. And while I did enjoy it, I do prefer to have series of novels have the ability to be stand-alones.

A terrific kick-off, to what I hope to be a wonderful series.

My Mom bought me the series 10 years ago when I was 13... Since then I have read them over and over and over... I find them impossible to tire of and once I start reading I don't want to put it back down... although by now I have half the books memorized.
I started reading these books when I was 13 years old and loved them... now at 23 years old- I still love to read this series.
The Immortals series is excellent as well.

I did not realize when I bought these books that they were for young adults, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about Alanna's adventures, friends and family. Alanna proved to the men again and again that "anything you can do I can do better". A great message to put out there for young girls. And even though it took me 1 day to read each book I just couldn't stop until I was done!

Is no one bothered by the essential lack of values in this book? Getting what you want is more important than honesty or respect for others. The main character threatens others with horrible, supernatural punishment, tricks her father, lies outrightly, and that's just in the first chapter.
What about integrity, justice, truth as foundations of doing right?
Compare this heroine with Jonas in The Giver, Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, Andy in Wolf Rider, or Karana in The Island of the Blue Dolphins.

What a story! What a writer! I could not put this book down. Colin Channer is a talent. I cannot wait to read his next adventure.

The book was well written, great humor and very relatable for anyone who has ever been in love or would like to be. The only thing is that the cover does not give the book any justice. At first glance you would think its one of those trashy romance novels, however its about more than romance, its about true love and the romance behind it.

This novel was a soulful journey. It connects with the reality of relationships and with all of its struggles and triumph. I was drawn into the characters from the opening page. He tells this tale with a poetic spin. His words unfold beautifully and each character takes on a life of its own. I think readers will find a little bit of themselves in this book. I loved it!

This book is a beautiful experience. It is one of the most passionate and real books that I have ever read. I couldn't put it down and I wish that it was longer. The emotions of the characters are so strong that they leap off of the page. This book makes you want to go out and fall in love and hope that you experience half the passion and true love that these characters experience.

Colin Channer to me is like a modern day Picasso with a pen. His dialogue is compelling, soul-stirring and purposeful and his characters are engaging. You can almost close your eyes and imagine yourself seeing the story unfold as if you were a fly on the wall at a gallery in New York, a beach house in Jamaica, or the Streets of London. This is the mark of a truly great storyteller.

Our main character, Fire, is a "simple" man with a "complex" life. By simple I mean he wants what any sane person would want, a circle of good life-long friends, a fulfilling life, and someone emotionally and physically available to share it all with. So, when he meets Sylvia, he feels like he has found the one. What he doesn't know is that Sylvia, an engaged magazine editor, is all but disengaged from her own true desires for her life. Soon we see that complications abound, and the journey they take throughout the story takes the reader on a cross-continental journey in search of introspection, true meaning and, possibly, true love.

An interesting point is that Channer's characters are written from their souls - what drives them to do the things they do is less about their gender than their emotions and their pasts. With such a multi-faceted story, several layers of conflict, we still get a crystal clear picture and understanding as to why things unfold teh way they do. It is a believable, gripping, page turner, and Channer conveys it effortlessly.

Waiting in Vain, simply put, was one of the two best books I have read in a long time. The other was Satisfy My Soul (also by Colin Channer). As an aspiring writer, I wish my prose was as naturally beautiful as Mr. Channer's. Until it is, I will keep devouring his work in hopes that some of his literary poeticism rubs off.

Excellent product with very fast shipping. I am completely satisfied and would recommend the seller and the book to anyone.

This is one of my top ten most favorite books. I read it for the very first time in junior high school and let a friend borrow it but never got it back. A few years later I went to buy another copy and to my horror it was out of print! I searched online for about a week and managed to find a used copy for about double the face value. I gladly paid the money and have read it about every year or so since. I have closely gaurded that old used copy and I'm very glad to see it back in print. Now if they would just publish a kindle version I would be set for life.

Phantom This book is by far one of the best written and emotionally enveloping books I've ever read. You feel the seductiveness of Erik and find yourself falling in love with him also. I have the 1989 copy and read it after seeing the movie. It ties in with the movie, the stage production, and the 1911 classic by Gaston Leroux especially. Sure there are a few discrepancies, when compared to other versions, but this book rounds out the life of Erik, from beginning to end and leaves you mourning his death and wanting more. You will miss him, as I do.

I've always had a sort of obsession with The Phantom of the Opera ever since I was a kid. My parents would play the music when we took long trips during our vacation. When I was older, I found a copy of the original novel by Leroux, and loved it. I heard from others who loved the play, book, and music about this book, and they all recommended it, so I read it. I can't tell you how amazing it is! To finally get Erik's history, and to hear things from his point of view, was simply beautiful. My only complaint would be the epilogue, but other than that, anyone with an interest in the story should read this! :)

My sister was insistant that I read this book, but I really wasn't interested...I had seen the movie and ofcourse I loved it, but my reading interests were somewhere else. However, after being told how wonderful it was I finally gave it a shot...Can I say, LOVED IT!!!! I was angry, sad, happy and totally in love with the Phantom...I loved this book so much that I was searching for it and I really didn't care that I spent $40.00. If you are a person who believes in impossible love this is a must read...

Never get tired of this one... love that sweet brown bear and all his friends

There are days when I am just thoroughly annoyed by this book.

And yet it remains a classic, and I grudgingly agree.

How can anyone not love the awesome repetitive rhymes and varying colors and animals? And how can you not get chills at how these animals are all staring at each other?

The original of interactive books and still probably the best.

Great book. My son's favorite. At 9 months of age he knew it by name.

I started reading this book to my son when he was 12 months old and since then he has always loved reading it. The words are flowy and interesting enough to capture his attention. A definate must have in a toddlers bookshelf!

This was one of my son's favorite books!
It brings back a lot of memories!

I am going to make this simple. I read an old paperback copy of the original "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". Having enjoyed reading the original, I found the "Ultimate" version in the discount section at Barnes and Noble. What a great buy for ten dollars.

Not all may like the series. For those that do, I highly recommend all additional books to the original. You will not be let down, as (the late) Mr. Adams continues to entertain again and again as things move on. Just about any science fiction fan with a sense of humor will love these books.

Great read, I didn't even know about the Zaphod short story (my own words) that was included in this book. Happy to have all of the stories all in one book and makes it easy for me to go back and reference parts from the earlier stories, especially since I enjoy noting the really good lines.

I've lost track of the number of times I've read the Guide novels over the years. This compilation of a 'trilogy in 5 parts' makes it nice and easy to read them all as one continuous story. I don't really need to elaborate on how good these stories are as those who have read them will already know. But to the uninitiated I strongly urge you to purchase a copy, prop yourself up against your towel, and eat plenty of peanuts. And most importantly, Don't Panic!

If finding out your house is about to be bulldozed to make way for a highway bypass is unnerving and life changing, imagine finding out the same is about to happen to your planet. Thus begin the adventures of human Arthur Dent in The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide by Douglas Adams.

Of course Adams is not the first writer to use science fiction to satirize the foibles of the human race and its institutions and culture (including science fiction), but he does does so with a rare combination of sophistication, style, and humor. His description of why the bypass is being built and why Arthur doesn't know about it alone starts the series off on a scathing note. In the universe of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (the book within a book), people sometimes survive government and corporate bureaucracy and personal greed and thoughtlessness, but more often destruction and waste seem to result.

Throughout his post-Earth adventures with Ford Prefect, the two-headed Zaphod Beeblebrox, fellow human Trillian (Tricia McMillan), and Marvin the perpetually downcast robot who takes lows to new highs, Arthur is the proverbial Everyman, whose struggles to make tea (and thus achieve some sense of ordinariness) in his new life result in near-destruction. At one point, he happily serves as "Sandwich Maker" on a pre-technological world that views this skill with awe.

Adams is perhaps strongest in his numerous asides in which he talks about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the publication for which Ford Prefect researches and writes, and the Encyclopedia Galactica; the nature of improbability; the humorously and seemingly invariable and inevitable tragic histories of various planets and races; and various theories surrounding such things as time, space, and infinity, almost always with a slyly serious wink about the absurdity of it all. These digressions allow his imagination and his intellect to soar and in many cases are more interesting than the story itself. This may go back to how The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy begins--that people want to move between Points A and B very fast, and that people at Point C in between (Everyman Arthur Dent) "often wish that people would just once and for all work out where the hell they wanted to be." There seem to be no Points A and B in Arthur's new universe; there are infinite points and lines and continuums, most of them absurd in one way or another.

With the exception of Trillian, Arthur's fellow travelers are well drawn. The most amusing is, sadly, Marvin, whose programmed depression is annoying and whose perception is accurate.

There are ingenious ideas scattered throughout the six stories, including the irony of a lorry driver who hates the perpetual rain that follows him no matter where he goes because, unbeknownst to him, he is a Rain God.

The problem is that many of these ideas, like life events, crop up randomly, play themselves out, and then seem to fall flat in the end. Undoubtedly, this is part of the universe as Adams sees it; it is made up of absurdity upon absurdity, which may not have neat Point A to Point B progressions. Some of this lack of cohesion also may be the result of transforming material written for episodic radio into book form; a certain sense and continuity may have been lost as the author diverts his tale to Points E, M, and T.

The first two books, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, are the best in the series. Life, the Universe and Everything is, almost as the title promises, too contorted and meandering. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, which takes place on Earth, lacks an engaging focal point, which makes it seem long and tedious at times. "Young Zaphod Plays It Safe" appears to be a throwaway story reflecting the author's views. Mostly Harmless, written at what Adams admitted was a bad time in his life, lacks the élan of the earliest books; it is more downbeat in attitude than its predecessors and borders on determined and grim. Marvin is long gone as comic relief; the weakest character, Tricia/Trillian, now moves to the forefront but without further development; and even Ford Prefect has sobered up, quite out of character. It as though Adams wanted his characters, most notably Random, to reflect his anger and depression and his universe to end without possibility of resurrection--in the same way that Arthur Conan Doyle tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes.

Underneath the satire, the humor, and the bitterness, The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide is imaginative and thought provoking, revealing a rare story-telling and writing gift that is brilliant both on the surface and in the depths.

As usual the movie can't live up to the book. This is a must-read -- one of those points of cultural brilliance that will still be read three hundred years from now. Be prepared for very dry humor, British-style...

This classic Dr. Seuss book is not just for kids. It's probably not even especially for kids. This classic book is the perfect gift for transitions: graduation, weddings, adoptions (my favorite paired with Dr. Seuss's "Horton Hatches An Egg"), new job, getting fired from a horrible job, ....)

And this deluxe edition is especially perfect for that gift at a special landmark occasion.

Ted Geisel might have crafted a book that gets shelved in the Children's Section in libraries and book stores, but he was writing especially to those of us who periodically forget, and want or need to remember, how magical and special every day of life can be.

Oh, the Places You'll Go! is a very good graduation gift, and my traditional gift for such occasions. But in regular bookstores, the cost usually averages at $18. Now, used books are great ideas, usually about $5, but not for graduation gifts. So when these $12 per arrived in perfect NEW condition I was thrilled. Go Amazon.

We use this book as a completion/graduation gift for a summer program for high school students that gives them experience in working at a university-level research project. The program is called SHARP. The book edition is hardback with a color-embossed jacket, so it will hold up as a keepsake, and the kids use it as they would a yearbook--collecting autographs and keep-in-touch messages from their friends and teachers.

This makes a great book. I gave one to a friend who's daughter is going to Kindergarten, I bought one for my little one and sent one to my brother who needed a little pick me up to get back on the right track. Its very motivational and I recommend it to every one of all ages.

We bought this book for our daughter graduating high school. We wanted her to know that the sky was the limit for her. This says it all.

Once again, I remember reading this book when I was a child. I had always been a bookworm and no problems diving into the imaginary world. This book will bring you even further. The story is one that everyone can relate to - young and old. The translation from German seems to me very good. I unfortunately do not remember every exact wording in German. The message of the book is very clear once you start reading - and even though I was hesitant, I think the movie was very well done to capture this.
There are not many books that one can read every now and then and still feel a renewed bond with the story. This one will keep you wondering what happened to you when you grew up.

If you've seen the movie, you've only gotten a taste of what this book has to offer. The movie is only an abbreviated adaptation of the first half of the book, and the sequels are simply spin-offs of the first movie. This book has so much more to offer! It's a story about the importance of imagination and fantasy, self-discovery and identity, and the importance of discovering what is truly important in your heart. At the very least the story in these pages is one of the greatest fantasy stories you will ever read... and if you truly open your heart to the story, you will walk away a better person after having read it.

This book was interesting to read because I thought it would be like "The Neverending Story" movie, but instead the book goes through both "The Neverending Story" 1 & 2. It has alot more details and you find out how far off the movies ventured from the book. The first few chapters are similar to the original movie then the rest of the book is about Bastian losing his memories and trying to get home. It is an interesting book, but some parts get rather dry. Enjoy with a grain of salt.

Originally classified as a children's book, this is really a deeply spiritual parable written for all of us. Your children will be dazzled by the imaginary creatures and fantasy lands, while you will discover deep spiritual messages and awe-inspiring symbolism that is prevalent in every single chapter.

Travel with Atreyu, Falkor and Bastian as they take on the journey into the heart of man. One of the best parts about this book is that just when you think it couldn't get any moreentertaining or profound, it surprises you by being even more of both.

If you've paid attention throughout the book and learned the lessons it
aims to teaches, then when all is said and done, you too may understand
what exactly is "The Neverending Story."

Many reviewers have already given a synopsis of this fantastic story of a boy literally drawn into a book he is reading. So, I wanted to comment on this particular edition.

I was hesitant to spend so much money on a book that has been in print for so long and is readily available in cheap paperback copies. However, this is a beautiful hardcover edition. Collectible quality. The dust jacket has lovely artwork. But, the best aspect is the two color text. The majority of the book is printed in green typeface. Bastion's sections are printed in red typeface. This allows for a smooth, but noticeable, transition between the two stories. I think this makes is easier on younger readers to keep track of what's going on, as well as being visually appealing. The paper feels thicker than in most books, and seems to be high quality. Bright white pages showcase the color text very well.

Fans of "The Princess Bride" would enjoy the story. Book collectors will be happy to add this to their shelf.

These days, Kahlil Gibran's "The Prophet" often gets dismissed as "hippie" literature. Yet, this book had been a bestseller LONG before the 1960s. Originally published in 1923, it almost instantly became a hit and even did well through the Great Depression. Today, Gibran's claim to fame is being the third best-selling poet of our time, behind Shakespeare and Lao Tzu... and pretty much entirely based on sales of this book. When his publisher, Alfred Knopf was asked who the audience for the book was, he flippantly dismissed the question. "It Must be a cult," he retorted.

Yet there is no such cult. What's incredible is that there's absolutely no marketing hype behind the success of this book. Gibran himself is long gone. There is no political, religious, or commercial enterprise attached to his name bent on winning souls and/or profits. The Gibran estate has merely been licensing copies year after year in response to the demand - a demand fueled pretty much entirely by word-of-mouth and chance discovery. The fact is, the twenty-six poems in this book have a surprising and suprassing relevance, insight and compassion. Broken down into several topics ("On Love", "On Work", "On Joy and Sorrow", etc.) the book itself recounts the sermons of a fictional poet leaving behind the gift of knowledge before he leaves his homeland.

I first found Gibran through a setting of his poem "On Children" by local Washington, D.C. singers Sweet Honey in the Rock on their album, "Breaths."

"Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you."

At the time I was about to leave for college and eighteen years of living under my parent's roof had made me restless for autonomy. That poem eloquently expressed everything I was yearning to say to them in my hours of frustration and adolescent angst. It later proved to be a reference to turn to in times where I needed confidence to live an independent and fulfilling life, while still maintaining respect and compassion towards the parents who had raised me.

I am not exaggerating when I say that the poems in this book have kept me grounded and sane throughout some of the most troubling times in my life. Our modern lives are ever hectic, stressful and busy - wrought with drama, frustration, depression, etc. The knowledge in these poems brings me back to a "middle ground" - there is a sage wisdom and clarity in the poems that has often been helpful for me in "unwinding" and coming back to earth. They bring me back to a place of clarity from whcih I can see my life from a wider perspective.

Though Gibran himself was a Christian and despite the title and conceit of the book, this is not really a religious book. The insight in this book would be applicable to your life even if you are an atheist. What's more, the poetry is mostly imagistic. Do not expect the academic poetics of Gibran's contemporaries Eliot or Pound or even Frost. They are written with the aim of being accessible and immediate to the reader and rely mostly on clear metaphors and vivid imagery.

Copies of "The Prophet" are not hard to come by. Perhaps check out the book's table of contexts either using Amazon's "Search Inside" feature or in your local bookstore and see if it addresses a problem or issue you are dealing with. That's a good a place as any to start with. Chances are, you will find something that speaks to you on some level.

I appreciate getting the book at the great price. I'm really not complaining but the book was quite yellow and the jacket was torn in various places. It looked like it was on the shelf for quite a while........Maureen

A very profound, deeply insightful and moving experience! One of my two favorite books of all times. No matter how often you read it, you find something new, some new insight, some amazing revelation, some word of consolation, another stunning example of wordcraft. A masterpiece! Inspired! This book should not be on a book shelf in the library, office or study, but on the bedside table, and the audiobook -- on your Ipod.

One of the ten best books I have ever read. A must for any on the path to Self-awareness. A book of profound understanding of the human dance. Gibran's writing in general is in a class by itself, and The Prophet is his finest work.

I have read this book over a hundered times in the last twenty years, and have given many copies away to friends and acquaintances. If God Himself (or Herself) were to give an opinion on various aspects of a person's life, I believe that his or her words would be very close to what Kahlil Gibran wrote in "The Prophet".

These is My Words is filled with wild west high adventure. It is fast paced and reminds me of watching an action movie. Sarah grows from not understanding what is love. How it is demonstrated etc... to a profound understanding of a healthy marriage relationship. Filled with woman's issues: child bearing & rearing, pregnancy, marriage, courage, strength, meekness, life and death. A woman's classic.

This book is great. It has everything ----- humor, sadness, romance, and just pure true grit!! Sarah and Jack are exceptional characters. I couldn't put the book down, but wanted more when it was over.

I loved this book. It was recommended to me by a friend and at first I wondered if this would be something I liked. But I have been absolutely enthralled with it, hardly wanting to put it down. This is a wonderful story about determination, ingenuity, love and loss. Definitely inspiring and endearingly moving. I am ready for the second book in the series.

This book was amazing. It was so hard to put down, I ended up reading it in a day. Very moving story of this girls life and great love. I recommend it to anyone with a love of romance and history.

This is a wonderful book ~ I recommend it to everyone who is interested in pioneer families and how it really was. The author must have done a huge amount of research and she makes it very real on every page. Great deal of humor or sadness as it must have been in those times. I have gotten the sequel and will start that soon too ~ something to look forward to!!!!

A review from my teenage daughter:

"A Ring of Endless Light" is one of my favorite books!

I've read it five times since I first found it at the library last summer, and since then, I have also read "A Wrinkle in Time," "The Moon by Night,"and "An Acceptable Time".

What I really like about it is the characters. They are so interesting!

The movie, on the other hand, was nowhere near as good as the book. (Characters they left out: John, Leo, Grace, Binnie, Nancy Rodney, Jeb Nuttley, and probably somebody else, too...) And after I read the book, I was rather upset with the Disney Channel.

Although this is a wonderful novel, I would not recommend it to anyone under the age of thirteen because of some mature content.

Lastly, I want to include my frequent rant ( more of a whine, really) about that Zachary Gray person: I never understood why Ms. L'Engle kept putting him in her books. He never changes, and he's just as much of a jerk in "An Acceptable Time" as he was in this book. I don't know what Vicky sees in him. He kept saying that he "needed her" but she can't be his psychologist; Earth to Vicky, Earth to Vicky! Not a good reason to go out with him!

As always, Madeleine L'Engle delivers a stunning piece of fiction with `A Ring of Endless Light.' Although the main character, Vicky Austin, gives off a distinctive mary-sue air, the book (especially the guys!) are very enjoyable. Pieces of poetry found in this book are beautiful and elegant; they alone would be cause enough to read the book. `A Ring of Endless Light' also offers the reader an insight into the emotions and thoughts of a teenage girl in a fantastical setting. I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up. If you enjoyed this book, I would recommend Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume, Father Figure by Richard Peck and With You and Without You by Ann Martin as well as the rest of L'Engle's books.

Once again, Madeleine L'Engle has constructed a masterpiece. All her books are superb, but this one stands out to me as my absolute favorite. I understand its a Disney Channel movie now as well. I remember reading this book when I was about middle school aged and thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, I took notes. There are several wonderful quotes that are worth remembering, and I think by the end I was left with some 10 pages of notes. I was a bit of a nerd as a kid, I guess. Still have all the papers filed away somewhere. Also memorized one of the poems to recite in my english class in about 7th grade. Fantastic book. I need to read it again.

In Madeline L'Enlgle's A Ring of Endless Light, 15-year old Vicky goes out to visit her sick grandfather to spend some time with him. During her stay, an old family friend, Commander Rodney, dies because he was trying to save another person from dying. On top of this, three young men are trying to get her adornment. Leo, Commander Rodney' son, is the nervous and puppy like young man who needs Vicky's attention. Although he may be nice, Vicky just wants to be his friend. Adam, a young man working at the marine biology center, confuses Vicky because he likes her, but pushes her away at the same time. Zachary, the rich, young man Commander Rodney died saving, wants Vicky back and claims that he needs her. Even though she has to deal with her love life, she has to help her grandfather, and other family members. During this vacation, she learns a lot about herself, death, life, her friends and family.

I really liked this book because it is very insightful. It gives me a lot of insight about living life. I want to live my lifelike Vicky and think like her because she lives her life to her fullest poetical and is moral, unlike me. She put phrases and lessons to heart and has a way of putting things into the right words. I liked how the author also wrote about death because I know that everyone is confused about tins subject. Some people firmly believe in one thing while other people are confused and wobbling. I remember what the Madeline L'engle writes about death whenever I come across one because her words sooth and help the soul.

I dislike the fact that the characters are a bit to perfect. The Austins are a bit like robots. There is the housewife mom that loves her husband and doesn't seem to have any arguments are all with him. The father is a strong man that supports his whole family. The oldest brother, like his father, is strong and smart. The youngest sister is beautiful and smart. The youngest brother is cute and innocent. Although Vicky seems more human than her family, she is still robotic. She always tries her hardest and it seems that everyone is drawn to her. Everyone trusts her with his or her secrets and everyone in the story has a longing to be with her. She is the person that people always want to be.

My favorite part of the book is hard to decide, but I think that my favorite part is when Vicky goes and visits the dolphins. I think that this is really interesting because Vicky learns that she can communicate with dolphins. In the beginning, she is really scared, but then she realizes that there is nothing to be afraid of. Soon, she feels comfortable with Basil. She can play with the dolphin and communicate freely. Even though people can't communicate with dolphins, Vicky can because her mind is somewhat childish, open, and free. I think that this is my favorite part because Vicky's relationship with Basil is much like my relationship with my friends. When I first made my friends, we were scared and shy, but once we knew each other, we had a lot of fun. When I am with my friends, I become childish, open and free, just like Vicky.

I loved this book and I would recommend it to girls from the ages 10 and up. This was a good story to connect to your life or the lives of the people around you. The things that happen to Vicky in A Ring of Endless Light might happen or may have happened to the reader. Therefore the plot of the story is believable. I would like to read another story by this author because I loved how thorough she was when describing Vicky's thoughts and feelings. When she was explaining how Vicky was seeing only darkness after a friend died in her arms, she painted a very vivid picture in my head. I thought that a Ring of Endless Light was truly a great book.