Shadow Books

I loved this book! Schofield gives readers a chance to leave this world and channel thier imagination in this one of a kind adventure. The ability to take part in this type of journey, one that goes beyond the typical non-fiction narrative, is something that readers deeply desire. Schofield's idea to base the start of the story in a past time period but still give it a futuristic feel is a great development.

The Empty Land reveals hope inside the dark when it goes into the hope for mankind during troubled times, and in doing so, draws a parallel between these fictitious events and events taking place in the world today. It makes this book very relateable.

This book is very clever,and serves as a awesome escape into fantasy for readers of all ages.

Read together with OSC's classic Enders Game, Enders Shadow is a masterpiece of perspective on leadership. While this is basically the same story as the Original Enders Game, Card gives us an improvement on his own great work by way of his improved and matured abilities as a writer, but more so with the unique privilege or seeing a story you think you know through another viewpoint, changing what you thought you knew.

The great lesson I took away from this story is this,
1) The smartest person in the room isn't necessarily the best leader.
2) The best leader always listens to the smartest person in the room

Orson Card is the master of the moral dilemma, the conflicted hero, and for requiring the reader to examine his own motives.

I love this story

Ender's Shadow is a parallel novel to Ender's Game. In this book Bean, the main character, is sent to the same school, where kids learn to be military geniuses by playing video games to save the earth from an alien threat, as Ender was. My favorite part of this book was when Ender's army, Dragon Army, has to fight two teams at the same time. Ender gives up on fighting, because he fights so much and his army is constantly pressured. Ender has all of his army, excluding Bean's special toon, and forms a wall. While the enemy is busy shooting at the rest of the army Bean's toon sneaks into the enemies' area and defeats them without freezing one of the enemies'. This is my favorite part, because even though Ender gave up, he was still able to defeat two armies at the same time by just using one special group trained by Bean.
I would highly recommend Ender's Shadow to anyone who likes sci-fi. I would recommend this book even more to people who've read Ender's Game. Ender's Shadow has the same events as its parallel novel, but it is seen through a different point of view. This book has a lot of action and some suspense. Every page left me wanting to read. To read about the kids in this book, especially Bean, and their ability to comprehend information is astonishing. It could put the most brilliant minds of today to shame.

In this second part of a trilogy, Jon Deckinga creates characters and a plot line that hold a reader's attention. Set in Bolivia, the realistic atmosphere in "An Ememy in Shadows" comes from the years that Deckinga and his family spent in that country. If you like spy thrillers set in exotic locations, you will love this book.

Envious Shadows is a deftly crafted, engrossing contemporary novel, one of those works which is not afraid to face the grim realities of life and the cruelties of society.

The story revolves around four main characters, all in some way alienated and simply trying to make the best of their lives in a world that ultimately is uncooperative and oppressive.

Fiona Sparrow is a shy young black woman who works at a house for schizophrenics and manic-depressives in Portland, Maine. Though well-educated, she is deeply insecure, a result of being the only black person in Waska, where she grew up. Adding to her identity conflict is the fact that she is the daughter of a white woman and a black man. The house where she works may very well serve as a metaphor for her life, for as a minor character states early in the novel, "To be black in America is to be schizophrenic." (p. 14)

Lowell Edgecomb has come back to Portland after been away many years. The son of a hippy mother and a father who deserted him early in life, he is also in many ways alienated and plagued by feelings of inferiority, shame, indifference and passivity. After having come into money in a most unexpected way, he now plans to build a cottage close to his mother's house. In a softball game, he meets Fiona. The rapport between them is instant. Most of their friends don't mind their "mixed" relationship, but other people in their community strongly do. It is with these people-Nazis and KKKs-that Lowell and Fiona have to deal with.

Bill Paine is Lowell's half brother. In spite of this, they are very close and trust and support one another. He has a solid, stable job, yet, like his brother, he is afflicted with feelings of inferiority due to his upbringing. He too has been deserted by his father. He has the "perfect" marriage and his wife Becky is the "perfect" mother to his two beautiful young sons. Yet Bill feels lonely, ignored, unloved, and ultimately vulnerable to another woman's charms.

Marilyn, described as a "female Don Juan," is Fiona's white cousin. This is one of the loneliest, saddest, most hopeless characters in this book. Her tragedy lies in being unaware of her own selfish and destructive behaviour. A temptress at heart with no consideration for anybody but herself, she "steals" Bill from his wife and children, an event which eventually has disastrous consequences for Bill.
Another character who though minor is worth mentioning because of his influence all throughout the novel as well as his impact in the end, is Rett Murrey. A Nazi with dreams of greatness, he exemplifies all the ignorance, pathos, cruelty and injustice of society. His ugly essence permeates the whole novel like a poison cloud, even when he's not present in a scene.

The characterization in this novel really stands out. Bill Paine is the best portrayal of an unfaithful husband as I have ever seen in a novel. With the candor and sharpness of a razor, the characters' voices come to life, exuding all their insecurities and feelings of powerlessness. The other aspect of the novel which stands out is the insightful, elegant prose of its author. In spite of the book's small print and long, slow paragraphs, most of the time words flow beautifully and effortlessly, keeping a tight grip on the reader's suspension of disbelief. "Dinner over, they had walked down to Deering Oaks to spend together the remaining hour before she had to return to work," the author writes. "Their hands sought each other, the warmth of their palms like a transformer connecting two circuits. The sun was low in the west and the clouds glorious Japanese lanterns of purples, pinks and oranges as they strolled past the duck pond. The beauty of love is that it made you love not just an individual but the whole world, life itself. `I love the evening, the quiet of it, the peacefulness,' he had said, and she had answered in a hushed tone, `Isn't it lovely?' They had stopped and looked into each other's eyes. He had squeezed her hand. They both could feel love hovering between them like a beautiful butterfly, but first Fiona wanted to make sure no impediment, no misunderstanding, clouded that feeling. Haltingly she said, `Lowell, you know that I am a black woman. That's how I see myself, I mean. It's my identity.'"

Though this is his debut novel, author R.P. Burnham is editor of the well-established The Long Story literary magazine, and has published a book of essays. He also has a forthcoming book dealing with similar themes of alienation and the nature of evil in society explored in this book.

Controversial issues of prejudice, racism, and the conflict between men's and women's roles are the landmarks of this novel. A beautiful work which depicts life in all its grim realities, Envious Shadows is a rewarding read and one I strongly recommend for group discussions.

This is a very well written, thought-out, exciting, and humorous book that captures the reader's attention from the very beginning when Joey Dugan is running from two policemen with a hand-gun he found in a gutter in is pocket. The car the cops are in suddenly hits a fire hydrant. The two men are trapped inside the burning mass of smashed metal. No one comes to their aid, since policemen are the ghetto's worst enemy. Finally Joey decides to help them. Just as he gets them out of the burning car, it explodes sending him flying through a store window with the impact.

The next morning he wakes up in the hospital, and he doesn't know it but his life is about to change forever--and this time it's for the better.

Charles Mills shows excellent discription, dialogue and a great story line! I have read all the books in the series, and this is the perfect book to start with. I recomend it to anybody who knows how to read.--Kas

The only thing I would like to say about this book is that the recipes are good well tested recipes. I appreciate the time and energy that went into the making of this cookbook. It is well laid out and easy to follow and use. Thank You for putting this and your other book together.

I first heard this given as a general conference talk and felt the wonderful spirit of eternal marriage as so well captured in this parable of silverware. This is a must read for couples about to get married or recently married. I highly recommend it to everyone and to refresh your perspective and opinion of marriage in a time when the public's view of the value of marriage becomes less and less.

Capably edited by John Pawlikowski (Professor of Ethics, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago) and Judith H. Banki (Director of Special Programs, Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, New York City), Ethics In The Shadow Of The Holocaust: Christian And Jewish Perspectives provides a compendium of knowledgeable essays and papers first presented on the Vatican Document on the Holocaust conference which was jointly sponsored by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding and the Cardinal Bernardin Center at Catholic Theological Union. The cultural, political, and religious forces that enabled the European Holocaust of the 20th Century (with a special emphasis on Christian-Jewish relations) was the principal focus. The scholarly contributors include Robert Schreiter, Gerard Sloyan, Irving Greenberg, Michael Marrus, Steven Katz, John Moreley, Ronald Modras, Cardinal Edward Cassidy, Michael Berenbaum, Judith Banki, John Pawlikowski, John Michalczyk, Peter Haas, Peter Hayes, and Donald Dietrich. Ethics In The Shadow Of The Holocaust is a seminal, welcome contribution to Holocaust Studies supplemental reading lists and a recommended addition to academic reference collections.

This author is a one of a kind writer! His books are imaginative and memorable! I highly recommend this book!