English Books

THIS BOOK IS AN EXCELLENT LEARNING TOOL. IT IS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT AND I AM SURE IT WILL BE READ AND EACH CHILD WILL LEARN FROM IT!

An excellent message and a good chapter book for those readers who are starting to gain confidence.

I just got this book yesterday for my son who just turned 3 years old. He really enjoyed it and after reading it, he kept asking me to read it over. He was very interested because he started asking questions at the end. He just started preschool and I wanted to introduce him to possible situations he might go through while in school. This story gives a great lesson on how to handle a situation when someone says something mean to you. My son also enjoyed it because the situation takes place in school and at a basketball court, which he can relate to because he started school and he loves to play basketball.

I was looking for a book to help my 9 year-old deal with other kids who say cruel and demeaning things. My son and I sat down and read the book together and then discussed how saying "so" when mean things are said takes away the bullies power. We decided that "so" was his new secret weapon.

My son was so excited when the very next day at school he used his secret weapon and it worked. He has also shared the book with a few of his classmates and it has helped them too.

GREAT BOOK!

The Meanest Thing To Say is not about saying mean things back to mean people. And it isn't even about mean people. What it IS about is children learning self-control, level-headedness and heart. When the new kid, Michael, calls Little Bill names, and says he has to think of the meanest things to say back the next day, Bill is frustrated and anxious. This comes up at home and his dad tells him to just say, "So?" to everything. Little Bill does this and it halts Michael. It takes two people to fight. But the moral of the story doesn't stop here. Bill observes Michael is a new student and maybe just needs a friend. So he invites him to play basketball with him and they become friends.

Unfortunately it is reality that children can be very mean and hurtful. As parents, we need to teach our children how to handle bullies and it's equally as important to teach them not to BE a bully. Also, just ignoring mean actions and words doesn't always work. Everyone has good in them and we all, ages 2-102 need to offer kindness instead of anger. Great job, Cosby! Thank you and please keep writing. Peace & Soar!o8E

These are among the most amazing short stories ever written. Some could be stereotypically described as poetic; others are more straightforward and prosaic. Some focus on brief moments; others traverse entire lives. Other reviewers have added a note of caution, but my suggestion is instead to jump right in. If you don't like one story, try a few more. The mystery and grace of these stories, the fullness of the emptiness surrounding their intensity and concision, and their range in time, content, and form will continue to astonish throughout one's life.

I hate the actual physical cover of this book,
the front and back cover are both very much curling outward,
so its hard to insert the book in a bookshelf.
This has nothing to do with the content of the book,
but it is very annoying nevertheless.

Yes, I'm serious about the title of this review. Nobel Prize winner Kawabata's "Palm-of-the-Hand Stories", a collection of 70 mostly 1-4 page stories makes for excellent toilet reading, reading of the highest order. Don't lie to yourselves, we all do it - even the ladies. So instead of reading some junky magazine or playing a hand-held video game while on the throne, read this book; its stories are of the perfect duration. The stories range from slight observations to deep expositions on human nature. Coincidentally, one of the stronger stories in the book is titled 'Lavatory Buddhahood'. Go figure. So whether you take my advice as to where this book is best read or not, it's worth reading.

If you like Sudden Fiction as a genre but not the usual silliness which accompanies it, this is the perfect union of very short fiction, craftsmanship and seriousness. Not always serious in tone but in effort. For the most part they are tender stories of rememberance, loss and the betterments of life. They are brief and dream-worthy, almost as if they were prose acting as poetry:

"Startled by a sharp pain, as if her hair were being pulled out, she woke up three or four times. But when she realized that a skein of her black hair was wound around the neck of her lover, she smiled to herself. In the morning, she would say, "My hair is this long now. When we sleep together, it truly grows longer."

Quietly she closed her eyes.

"I don't want to sleep. Why do we have to sleep? Even though we are lovers, to have to go to sleep, of all things!" On nights when it was all right for her to stay with him, she would say this, as if it were a mystery to her." from Sleeping Habit

Even when the stories are harsh they aren't beleagured with excess, but consequential life and its misgivings with some ironic humor interjected amongst the living ghosts. The same can be said for the norm: lush stories that are kindly felt but never over-sentimentalizations and mush. A great bed-side companion to make you dream better and wake a little more human.

House of the Sleeping Beauties is one of my favorite anthologies, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on another book from this brilliant author. The stories in Palm of the Hand are full of poetic and philosophical undertones and magical realism. My favorite one is "Bamboo-Leaf Boats," a poignant tale about a woman who grieves the loss of her fiance. The pain the protagonist goes through moved me. The other stories are beautiful as well. I suggest you read this wonderful book...

Any book that tells you how to say "May i give you a back massage" and "I dont have any diseases" in three different languages is definatly worth buying it. Also it has the basics and maybe the more useful phrases like "where is the bathroom" "check please" and the like.

I bought this book because of the reviews I read and it lived up to the hype. It came in handy in both routine and emergency situations - particularly when I had left my passport, money and credit cards on a train in Italy and had to communicate to the stationmaster in Genoa!

This is one of my best purchases in Amazon, it's amazing how good is this book. It's very practical for any traveler around the world, it has detailed content in subjects like: what to tell to italian men if they are bothering you (and as a woman... this can become very handy!) or everything you need to say in a medical emergency or how to enjoy the food in a restaurant (because you can understand now the menu). I really recommend this book if you are looking for a better experience in your trips or if you are learning a foreign language (like me). Greetings from Mexico. Nayeli

This books is great. It has many handy phrases that make traveling in Europe easier. Contrary to what most people believe, not everyone in other countries speak English. If you are the adventurous type and like to explore on your own, knowing some phrases to navigate the area is really useful.

I purchased additional copies of this book for a few friends that were traveling as well.

This book is full of practical advice and essential information that kept me from making some mistakes on our vacation this summer. Though I probably won't return to Europe for a few years, this book will stay in my bookshelves for future reference. I have always enjoyed Rick Steves' travel shows because of his down-to-earth, straight-forward style. The book follows that pattern perfectly. I highly recommend this book to any European travel novice.

See a Grown Man Cry: The prose is jagged, visceral, potent, vigorous and muscular. Every syllable aches and screams. This is adrenal overload. This is the assassination of mendacity, of mediocrity. The gelatinous underbelly of culture is exposed, cleaved and forcefully displayed. Then Henry eviscerates from the inside. The raw energy of this work is as naked, observant and perceptive as anything Bukowski ever committed to print.

i have never read anything by henry rollins before i purchased this book. and i fell in love w/ his writing. i have now bought almost every book by him and in the process of reading them. his books touch me in a way, and help too. its hard for me to find a book, let alone an author that i like as much as henry rollins and his books

this is the most honest, heartbreaking work I've read. It puts your personal misery into perspective, reminding you what it means to live life. Even after you lose those that make you whole.

7 years ago, a friend of mine read me a poem from "Now Watch Him Die" (They were seperate books back then). It's the one on page 164 of this volume, the one that starts with "I love you and you'll never know." Since then, I have not gone anywhere without a copy of these books close at hand. They are an all-encompassing chronicle of one man's solipsism, isolation, desperation and depression. This may not sound fascinating, but that man happens to be Henry Rollins, who has a talent for intensity and a command of words rivaled by no one of this era. Not since Bukowski has someone used so little to say so much. If you are ready for a descent into a maelstrom of anger, violence and pure, blinding pain, then this is the book for you. If you're looking for something sappy, sweet and redemptive, then try Oprah's Book Club instead.

There is so much farcity in the world today that it's so good to come across a writer like Henry who's willing to show everyone what he thinks, how he feels, what his life is like and how he perceives the world around him.

This book is very brutal and honest, which I think always makes for good writing. He has a very clear perception of the people around him and how they think, which lets him view the world from all sides including his own. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to open their eyes to someone else's reality.

A must read. A great selection of non-fiction material. If you know and like Borges you know you'll be pleased, if this is your first time reading Borges I guarantee that it won't be your last, you'll keep buying all his work. Borges wasn't a man, he was a library, a portal to knowledge and wisdom.

Enjoy

To read Borges, you become Borges. You see yourself in his mirrors, you regard the books you read as the books he reads. You appreciate what he appreciates, loving the literature he has absorbed, finding your way through the complex interweaving of his passions: Romantic English Poetry, Shakespeare, H.G. Well, Edgar Allan Poe, Dante, Icelandic Sagas, German Idealism, the Kabbala, Schopenhauer, Bergson, English Empiricism, Sufism, etc... All literary roads lead to Borges.

He lived a long, rich life. He is the Librarian you might meet in heaven. If only he were still alive to guide the reading public. If only he lived today and had a website, to think of all the books he might recommend. And wouldn't it be wonderful, to learn about his opinions on modern writers.

With the Collected Fictions, this book is a testament to the literary critic/philosphical wanderer in us all. Each essay is a delicate delicacy. This book is for you if you're a gourmand of good writing, great thinking and the pleasure of exploring the vast expanding world of literature. This book is rich, complex and wondrous. His writings on Dante and Shakespeare, his reviews, his philosophical essays... just read the book and become Borges becoming you.

Eliot Weinberger has done a real service to the world of literature by selecting, and translating these pieces. They show the range of interest, the incredible ability to make inventive creative cross- connections of one of Modern Literature's true masters, Borges.
Borges covers worlds in his writing, worlds of Literature , worlds of the Argentinean society he and some of his ancestors grew up in, worlds given in a universal encycopediac reading, which seems to cover all continents and all cultures.
Borges greatest work is considered to be his ' Ficciones'. But his signature is present in all , in a single page of a book- review or a philosphical meditation.
For him worlds mingle and combine, and are retranslated in such a way as to reappear as Literature.
He also in this work reveals himself to be a decent and courageous opponent of Fascism.
He confounds and surprises us at times with these strange mixings of things, but the poetic and parable- like element is so strong in this work that it engages us, and forces us to question our own small pictures of reality.
What a great and interesting writer. What a pleasure to have this work to enrich our minds with.

Because Borges lived and worked in Argentina, few have heard of him in the English-speaking world. Those that have are probably most familiar with his fiction stories. This book of non-fiction essays shows the vast knowledge and wide variation of interests of Borges. Therefore, this collection really does have something for everyone. Unfortunately, there are also many essays that are unreadable, some annoying repititions, and some essays are just plain dull.

So, what does Borges write about? He covers some metaphysical ground on the nature of time and infinity. He defines heaven as an infinite library, and then goes into the nature of infinity. On the more mundane end, he reviews movies and gives capsule biographies of authors - King Kong, Citizen Kane, and more obscure (and not necessarily Hollywood) films. He writes on contemporary (at the time) politics - Nazi Germany, the curators of the national library, etc. He gets intensely personal - there is one essay on the progression of his blindness. But if there is a main theme that permeates these pieces, it's his love of literature in all languages - Spanish, English (old and modern), German. He has an abiding love of the Greek classics (Homer, Virgil) and great admiration for Joyce, Poe, and Chesterton.

Unfortunately, those of us with a less classical education cannot keep up to everything that Borges says - I, for one, will never have the time to learn ancient Greek! - which makes certain essays difficult. There are other essays (especially early on) that are simply unintellegible (this may be the fault of the translators, especially since there are times when two or three essays cover the same ground with increasing degrees of murkiness). But it always happened that a real gem would appear just when I was getting frustrated with a series of uninteresting essays.

On the balance, about a third of the essays are not interesting (or badly translated, or repetitions), a third are interesting if not spectacular, and the final third have at least one moment of sheer brilliance. It's well worth buying, but it's unlikely you'll read it from cover to cover without taking a break - I took many breaks to read other things, and it took me over 1.5 years to complete the whole book. But you know what? - on the balance, I like his non-fiction better than his fiction

Borges claims in one of these articles that he was "more proud of the books he has read than the books he has written." I imagine I would feel the same way, had I written any books! And I think this statement captures the unifying theme of this compendium. Herein Borges will astonish and charm you with the breadth, variety, and whimsy of his literary taste.

The book is a compilation of critical essays, social commentary, reviews of the fledgling film art, and other oddities published in various media from throughout Borges's literary life. Each offers you new horizens for literary pursuit and further reading, and all are executed with Borges's renowned concision.

What I like most of all is that Borges is more interested the kinds of books people really enjoy reading, such as Bradbury, HG Wells, Lord Dunsany, and Kipling, rather than the fossilized academic "classics." One of my favorite features are the several recommended reading lists, in which Borges passes on his own most pleasurable reading experiences. There is also a refreshing eclecticism in Borges's taste--for example, this book lead me to Mathematics and the Imagination, a fun popular math book. Another personal highlight is the essay on Edward Fitzgerald.

This volume is not something one would read from cover to cover in several sittings, but rather a treasure trove to be mined from time to time, like the famous cave discovered by Ali Baba in that book so dear to Borges's heart!

Every couple of years or so, British author Elizabeth Chadwick delivers up a new adventure of life in the tumultuous twelfth century for her fans. Whenever I find myself waiting impatiently for her next new release, I go through her backlist of novels to help me bide the time.

This time with the novel, Shadows and Strongholds, the story is set on the Welsh frontier of England in the twelfth century. It is a rather untamed place, where the lords of the various castles and manors are on a constant state of alert for the Welsh to come raiding, their favourite hobby being the cattle rustling and stealing women away. Too, they don't fight like the English, much preferring a quick hit-and-run approach rather than the more organized Norman way of battle.

Into this world is born Brunin FitzWarin. Brunin is the second son of a powerful nobleman, and has grown up in the shadow of his fearsome grandmother, the sharp-tongued Mellette. Mellette has never bothered to hide her contempt for the child, and has encouraged his brothers to tease and torment him, causing Brunin to retreat into himself, doubting his own abilities, a fatal flaw in a culture that prided itself on personal courage and warfare. When he goes with his father to St. Peters Fair in the nearby town of Shrewsbury, Brunin gets a hard lesson in medieval politics when he is beaten and nearly killed by squires of his father's rival, Gilbert de Lacy. His father furious, but a family friend, Joscelin de Dinan, offers to help by taking Brunin into his household for training. It's a solution that Fulk happily agrees to.

In Joscelin's stronghold of Ludlow Castle, ten year old Brunin gets to discover a world that he could scarcely dream of. At Ludlow he finds that Joscelin's wife, Sybilla, is a kind mentor, and his daughters, Sibbi and Hawise, are just as forceful and proud as their father. Hawise in particular becomes a close friend, sharing in his adventures, and even the adoring, kittenish, Marion, forms a bond with him. In this nurturing environment, Brunin is able to build his self-reliance and finds a talent for warfare and courage within himself. Both of these talents will be needed when he suddenly succeeds to his father's lands just as civil war for England's crown overtakes the Welsh marches, and everyone at Ludlow risks losing everything that they have built...

Yes, there is a follow-up to this one, Lords of the White Castle, published several years earlier, but taking place after the events of Shadows and Strongholds.

I really took to the story of Brunin and Hawise. Brunin is a very sympathetic character, a young man that finds the strength inside of himself to succeed. Hawise is more of a partner to him than just a broodmare of a wife, clever in her own way, and able to work with her husband -- and lucky enough to have a husband that sees that valuable trait in her. The secondary characters are just as interesting, especially Joscelin and Sybilla, and who can't help but wince at the choices that Marion makes? Even the villains of the piece, the de Lacys and their henchmen, inspire some understanding, and moves them beyond the usual two-dimensional figures that are all too common.

I have to say that Elizabeth Chadwick has become one of my favourite authors to read. Her research is based around solid research about the actual people and times of the period -- and yes, Josecelin, Sybilla, Brunin and Hawise all lived, and even poor Marion is an actual historical figure. It's this ability to turn a legend or story into people that the reader gets to know and like, and not resorting to the trivialities of most historical fiction, that makes this author really stand out from the lackluster fiction that most historical fiction tends to pass itself as. While her books are indeed rather thick, and do take time to get through, the patient reader will be greatly rewarded.

What I enjoy the most about Ms. Chadwick's work is that she remains focused on the people and times of the period. Her research is spot on, and has the feel of actually being there in an age of chivalry. Yes, it's very much a man's world, where women have little political voice and power, but behind the scenes, they could have a great deal of influence. As to the round of daily life, the details of the battlefield and such things as clothing, food and music, Ms. Chadwick has gotten to know what she is doing, by being brave enough to be with historical reinactors and learns by doing. It's this little step that fills her novels with so much life that I swear I can feel the medieval period come to life around me, and isn't that, after all, what we read historical fiction for?

Don't let the cover fool you, these are not the sappy, sticky historical romances that tend to litter bookstores. This is straight up historical fiction based in fact and worth every penny. The more I read of Ms. Chadwick's work, the more I want of her novels. Fans of Sharon Kay Penman and the early works of Roberta Gellis are urged to give her books a try, you won't be disappointed.

Four and a half stars, round up to five. Enthusiastically recommended.

This prequel to LORDS OF THE WHITE CASTLE begins in 1148 when Fulke FitzWarin's father, known as Brunin, is 10 years old. It relates the political struggles of the times - King Stephen's final years, Henry of Anjou's (the future Henry II) challenges for the throne and the Welsh border raids.

As the author explains in the endnotes, much of the story about Brunin FitzWarin is based on a 14th Century romantic tale, sometimes called the FitzWarin romance. It should, therefore, be taken with a grain of salt. "[T]he chronicler played fast and loose with many facts," writes Chadwick, "especially with regard to the timing and placing of some of the major players."

The story is of a boy who comes of age during difficult times. It is about love, betrayal and loss, and survival.

If you like Diana Gabaldon or Sharon Kay Penman, you will probably like this book. Chadwick matches Gabaldon's skill for storytelling and romance. The history in her books is not as solid as Penman's, but you'll recognize a number of the people from having read Penman's books.

The "family chronicles" was a rather popular genre between the 12th to the 14th centuries. These chronicles were written by clerics, under the supervision of the family.
One of these chronicles is the story of the Fitzwarin family, and this ancient piece was the basis for the wonderful novel "Shadows and Strongholds".

This is a story of two childhood friends and eventually husband and wife, Brunin Fitzwarin and Hawise de Dinan, and their adventures and tests of courage and love in times where nothing is for sure and everything is under threat, including the beloved castle where they both spent most of their years and where their future awaits- Ludlow castle.

This is a fascinating story, based on true facts and real characters- highly recommended!

Much of Elizabeth Chadwick's research is carried out as a member of Regia Anglorum, this is an early medieval re-enactment society. Her writing in recent books has become much more accomplished. She now writes about the period with the convictions of her obvious knowledge of the subject and has also made a subtle change from writing what were in effect historical love stories (nothing wrong with that) to historical novels with a love interest. Her books are now much earthier and in my humble opinion are much better for it. She has now written quite a number of books and has received many accolades for her writing.

Shadows and Strongholds is another medieval tale from the pen of Elizabeth Chadwick, an author who writes this type of book better than anyone else I can think of. The author always tries to get some sort of love interest into her novels but this should not in any way deter male readers from the book. The authors knowledge of the period about which she writes is second to none and there is plenty in her books for both male and female readers to get their teeth into.

The author's style is slowly changing, to my way of thinking for the better, but what does remain constant is her knowledge of the period about which she writes and her ability to draw the reader into the story, until they could almost be there. This is a rare talent indeed.

18 Aug 2004: Refers to UK Hardcover Edition


This is a medieval tale of Brunin FitzWarin and Hawise de Dinan. It begins in England, 1148 and ten year old Brunin is a misfit in his own family. He is a quiet child and is tormented by his brothers and is detested by his own paternal grandmother, Mellette. His beautiful mother, Eve, is a shy, quiet woman who doesn't have the mettle to stand up to her mother-in-law or her domineering husband, Fulke FitzWarin and therefore is incapable of protecting herself, let alone her oldest son.
Brunin's father decides that the boy needs encouragement to fully develop and sends him to be fostered in the household of his friend, Joscelin de Dinan, Lord of Ludlow. Brunin will learn the knightly arts but he must also learn to overcome his own self-doubts.

There he meets Hawise, the youngest daughter of Lord Joscelin and they form a friendship while growing up together at Ludlow. He learns to fight with Lord Joscelin, and his father for Henry of Anjou for Henry's crown against King Stephen. However, in the background, rival threats against Ludlow and Whittington become more prevalent and additional battles must be fought.

This is an extremely well-written book and delves deep into the personalities of the main characters, especially Brunin and Hawise. I felt their emotions so strongly it was almost akin to being in their shoes. A veritable page turner! I couldn't stop and was sad to see it end! Another winner for author Elizabeth Chadwick and anyone who reads her novels!

Gina Buonaguro and Janice Kirk have written such a deep, touching story in "The Sidewalk Artist". It is so poetic, it brings tears to this reader's eyes. The book presents the life story of a Renaissance artist into the modern world where a young tourist named Tulia meets and is instantly inrigued with a sidewalk artist and finds herself falling in love. Their tale intermingles with the book Tulia is attempting to write during her travels through France and Italy. Slowly, the truth begins to reveal itself about the artist and the secret he hides. Everyone who has a romantic bone in his or her body should not miss this one!

If you have ever been to Paris or Italy or have an interest in art, or if you are a romantic, this is the book for you. I enjoyed it very much. Such a novel plot and so well done. You cheer for the heroine and the ending is bittersweet.

The Sidewalk Artist is a beautifully written book and is very atmospheric.

The book really is two stories but it is really one love story that surpasses time and I did work out the plot when I was half way through I was not tempted to give up as I was hoping I was wrong !

It is not a book I would normally buy but I did enjoy it. Definitely a lovely Summer read. My only complaint is I would have liked it to be a bit longer !

The Sidewalk Artist is a beautifully written book and is very atmospheric.

The book really is two stories but it is really one love story that surpasses time. I did work out the plot when I was half way through, however I was not tempted to give up as I was hoping I was wrong !

It is not a book I would normally buy but I did enjoy it. Definitely a lovely Summer read. My only complaint is I would have liked it to be a bit longer !

Whenever I hear a book labeled a "romance", I instantly think of bodice rippers. As I am not a fan of this genre, attaching "romance" to a book makes me wary and that's too bad, as I love a really well done romance. Fortunately, there are books like this that prove that romance can be a very literary topic.

Tulia Rose heads off to Europe for some time away from what has become a fractured relationship. She's a woman who seems to be standing still in her life. Though she is happy with her job, the pay is low and there is no real opportunity to go any further than where she is. The aforementioned relationship is with a man who makes a great deal of money and so one of the central conflicts here is not only the slow death of their romance but also the more practical question of how Tulia is to survive if she is to go it alone. This is a complex issue and one that undoubtedly leads many people to stay with partners with whom they are really ill suited. I thought the authors handled this particular plot thread in a thoughtful manner.

While in Europe, Tulia meets a very mysterious sidewalk artist who causes her to drastically change her plans. Though he is sensitive and handsome and though Tulia finds herself drawn to him, he is also rather cagey and her reaction to his reticence is very realistic. She finds herself having to choose between what her heart and her head are telling her. Though she finds herself falling for him, her growing feelings for him are tempered by periodic bursts of uncertainty as to whether he is sincere and even whether he could, in fact, be dangerous. Really, all love is like this in that we must all ultimately make a choice as to whether or not we will allow ourselves to become vulnerable enough to care for someone. Tulia wants to believe in love but has found herself disappointed in the past and so while her caution is certainly advisable, it also says a lot about how she has been hurt in the past.

Woven within Tulia's story is a fictional account of the artist Raphael and the woman he loved, which Tulia writes after the story comes to her in bits and pieces during dreams. His is a cautionary tale about taking love for granted rather than seizing every opportunity for happiness. The more Tulia writes the tale, the more unsettling it becomes because it seems so vivid to her. It is here that the mystical elements of the novel come into play and Buonaguro and Kirk have created a book that has fantastical elements that are so sensitively written that, however implausible, they don't seem silly.

"Silver Pennies" was my elementary school poetry book filled with whimsical and delightful imagery of fairies and natural surroundngs. Compiled in two sections, Part I for first through fourth graders and Part II for fifth and sixth graders, many of the poems can be memorized. Others are wonderful for bedtime reading by a grown-up. The poems have charm and sensitivity to the world of children's imagination and speaks of a simpler time when we stopped to hear the fairies.

When Silver Pennies by Blanche Jennings Thompson was first published by The MacMillan Company in 1926, this beautiful collection of poetry for children was bound in cloth imprinted with the silhouette of a small child reaching up to the heavens towards a cascade of silver stars. The current publisher who claims a 1976 copyright is aptly named Buccaneer Books, for they have pillaged much of the charm of this book. The library cover is the dullest imaginable! For the price of this reprint, surely they could have reproduced the cover which so captured my imagination and that of so many other children in years past. I would have given this book all the stars in the world, had they kept those stars on the cover!

Silver Pennies has made terrific bedtime and quiet-time reading for our 3yo. The poems are short enough and entertaining enough to keep a little person's attention, and ours has already found some favorites.

After all the cutesy-wootsy, sanitized, dumbed-down kids' books I've read through, this is a delight.

Although the new cover looks more like a Book Of Shadows than a book of children's poems, the actual writing still has the charm of the original. Beautiful, optimistic, sentimental...a lovely trip back to what was good in my childhood.

A dear old friend gave this book (1952 ed) to me ten years ago. I was only 22 years old then and much to busy for poetry. She died a few years later. For ten years, I didn't pay it much mind. Then I had my first child and began to search among my books for poems that would be good to read at bedtime. To my delight, I rediscovered Silver Pennies. What a find! My husband and I read from it every night and our little 2 year old loves it. It's become almost a ritual at our house. I know my son doesn't understand all words, but the poems have a beauty all their own and he must appreciate it. I've read my favorites such as The Faithless Flowers, Rain in the Night, and Water Noises so many times that they're now committed to memory. I probably know at least a dozen of the poems by heart, which has been a real delight to my son when we are traveling or camping out and don't have books to read or light to read by. I just recite them to him in the dark -- he loves it and drifts off to sleep every time. My husband and I will always treasure this little book.

One thing that keeps book reviewing an interesting task is the sheer variety of the books I am privileged to read. In the past month I've read biographies, theology and devotionals. I've read about marketing the church, reclaiming the church and new ways of doing church. And now I've read about singlehood, admittedly a topic I know little about. Because my wife and I began dating when I was eighteen and we married when I was twenty-one, I have difficulty relating to the situations of men and women who find themselves single or single again in their late twenties, early thirties and beyond. Because of this I assumed that Single Servings by Lee Warren would have little to offer me. But it turns out that I was wrong.

Single Servings is a devotional book targetted at single adults. Author Lee Warren ministers to singles as a columnist for Christianity Online. He has been published in several other publications and often travels to speaking engagements. He is well-qualified to write a book to challenge and encourage other singles.

I must admit that because my schedule did not allow me to spend 90 days on a single book, I read the entire book in just a couple of days. I felt afterwards like I had eaten 90 single servings in only a couple of sittings. While I enjoyed it, I know I would have been able to digest more of the book if I had been able to read it the way it was intended.

The book is divided into nine parts: Community, Completeness, Emotional Health, Physical Desires, Longing For Love, God's Timing, No Fair, Expectations and Embracing Life. Each of the 90 chapters follows a typical devotional format. It begins with a verse of the Bible and that is followed by the author's reflection. There are also five questions that help apply that day's text.

A chapter that especially caught my attention is one entitled "Our Spiritual Act of Worship," in which Warren discusses the satisfying of physical desires. He writes, "Why then do we as singles dwell on what we're missing? God's people have no rights over their bodies. We have no right to demand that our physical desires get met. God is happy to do so within the context of marriage, and someday he may choose to give us a spouse. But until then we can show our love for him by laying our physical desires on the sacrificial altar as an act of worship. And in so doing, we will experience the joy and contentment that always come from sacrifice" (page 95). Insights like that are as valuable to a married man as to a single man. There are plenty of similarly valuable reflections throughout the text.

There are a couple of areas I might suggest some improvement. I would liked to have seen some serious interaction with Paul's statement about those who are given the gift of celibacy and how these people differ from those who are single because God has not yet seen fit to bless them with a spouse. The author also writes quite often about hearing God or listening to God's voice, but without indicating whether this is to be done only through Scripture or whether he refers to hearing God's voice through subjective impressions and so on. Clarity in this matter would have been useful. An index of Bible passages would also be welcome for later reference. And while I'm putting together a wishlist, the gratuitous mention of Mother Teresa on the last page could also disappear without harming the book's impact.

I found this to be a valuable book, not only in edifying me, but also in helping me to understand the unique challenges faced by singles. Warren works well within a restrictive format. He is transparent without being exhibitionist, vulnerable without being whiny. He does not back down from presenting a serious challenge to single adults. At the same time, he does not offer them false hope or allow them to bemoan their condition. He rightly sees singlehood as an opportunity for great blessing and unrestricted service to the Lord. Singlehood, while it may be difficult, can and should be a great blessing to the church. And Warren clearly hopes that all singles who read his book will accept this challenge. I am happy to recommend this book.

The devotionals in this book lift you up and help you to realize, you really are not alone. So many churches aren't really addressing the issues of singles, but this book does not back off from any of them. I love the "Digging Deeper" questions into the Bible passages at the end of each devotion. If you are single, for whatever reason, or you know someone who is--this is the book. Get it.

I wish this book had been around when I was single. Warren's devotionals are insightful, thought-provoking, and above all, encouraging. It's tough to be single when you're surrounded by couples and families, but Single Servings points out that God's plan is perfect for everyone, and His timing is always the best. Highly recommended.

Lee Warren's Single Servings lives up to its subtitle as it filled this single's soul. While so many singles' books-even in the Christian market-are focused on finding your mate or becoming the perfect mate for someone in the future, Lee's focuses on our value as singles, our lives in the here-and-now, and how we in this season of singleness can live our lives to the fullest, complete in Christ.

From dealing with the longings we face and nosy relatives who question our marital status to being content as singles and allowing God to use us in amazing ways, Lee's book encouraged and inspired me to use this time for God's glory. Lee urges readers to not put their lives on hold for marriage, but to live life to its fullest where God has you right now! While I still pray for a future mate and family, I can honestly agree with the author's closing devotion-"I Like Being Single!" A must-read for Christian singles!

Lee Warren makes every word count in each of these power-packed devotionals for single adults. In a culture that questions people's singleness, this book is truly a gift to anyone whether they have chosen to remain single or are waiting for God's choice of a mate. Single Servings uses scripture, true-life stories, biblical examples, and thought-provoking questions, to help singles find their satisfaction in Christ.

Single Servings is one of the most relevant, well-written books on the market for single adults. Every single adult ministry needs to buy this book by the case to use for small group discussion or individual study.

This book is being used in a Spanish club by a small group of seniors ages 82 to 93. This is the fourth side by side book that we have used. We wish there would be more.Stories from Latin America : Historias de Latinoamerica

Good book! Great to learn a little about the culture while also learning/improving my spanish vocabularly and understanding. I think it's great to incorporate reading spanish in order to attempt to fully understand the language. I liked this book in doing so, but it would be nice if there was a gradual immersion into all of the new words. I've also looked into verb books which I think would be very beneficial as there are some conjugated verbs that you can't find in the dictionary because their so different from the original word. Plus, I've heard this is very beneficial in really learning to be fluent...Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses by Dorothy Devney

This is a fantastic book for Spanish review and practice. Very easy to check yourself and translate vocabulary because of the accurate English translations. The stories give you cultural insight,as well.

The book is a fine addition to help one who is studying the Spanish language. Es un buen libro.

Excellent stories covering the history and culture of Latin American countries. Makes for great reading and a valuable learning tool.