A Books

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".

Should we, could we all walk through life in such an enlightened state? What a wonderful peaceful world it would be. How can we deny that Kahlil Gibran was directed by the Gods to deliver a message: "be as one, live in the light, love is the only answer!" and so I paraphrase, but in truth, it is a way of life that is essential to the well-being of mankind.

The Prophet is a very thought-provoking and inspiring book. I purchased it after reading a few pages from a copy that my sister-in-law had, and I knew I had to have my own. An excellent collection of short stories and poems.

I am reading all of the Redwall books in the chronological order, not the order he wrote them in. Martin the Warrior is therefore 2nd. I'd already read Redwall and Mossflower and they remain among my favorites of this series, but Martin the Warrior is just as good. His characters are well-developed, just keep in mind that the intended audience is children. I love the way he creates different ways of speaking for the different types of animals. Molespeech happens to be my favorite. To some extent, the book formulas are fairly predictable. Insane villain leader, celebratory feast, etc., but these in no way diminish the enjoyment (for me) of truly delightful storytelling.

*Remember that I am not the target audience for this book, so younger adults will enjoy this novel.

For die-hard Redwall fans, or even the casual readers who've picked up any Redwall book would know who Martin is. He is the source of prayer to the Redwallers, the mouse that annoyingly sticks his snout in other's dreams, giving riddles to the would-be-warrior. He is also featured on a tapestry that hangs at the Great Hall. And what you are holding in your hands, or are probably about to, are the story behind the warrior, and how he was so well honored among the Redwallers and all free good woodland critters.

In the book, Martin is a young mouse who is slave to a wicked stoat named Badrang the Tyrant. He has gathered up a large horde of every evil stereotypical villain except for stoats like himself, and plenty of slaves who mostly do the work of enlarging his fortress called Marshank. He is a sly, wicked beast, like any Redwall villain, stuck with a 'friend' (I say this term loosely because you know there is never any deep relationship between vermin buddies) named Clogg, a corsair stoat, and backstabbing one another to get control of Marshank. Martin defies Badrang, escapes with a few slaves, and then he gathers up an army to attack Marshank and end Badrang's tyranny.

For the pros, this book is up there as my rare Redwall favorites simply because you got at least two characters who are woodland good but turn bad like the bankvole named Druwp, who acts as a spy among the slaves, and a tribe of squirrels who give in to Martin and help him fight.

It's a decent Redwall novel that I do enjoy and that's saying something, since most of my Redwall reviews have been negative. Perhaps I have taken this book as it is (finally): a good childhood story. Well, it's a good story, when you get down to it.

This book is supposed to be about 'Martin the Warrior'. About how his legacy lived on in so many creatures when all other heroes have been forgotten. So this book must be special, and it is.

The characters were mostly one dimensional, with exception to a few villains like Clogg and Badrang, who were very neat, twisted villains with good motives. Rose was put up there to serve as a very weak love interest for Martin that I wished could've been a tiny bit more developed. Felldoh was a very interesting character, and I can admit that I did like him, and I would have liked him a lot more hadn't he fallen through the same path of wickedness as a vermin, or from what the kind, peace-loving woodland creatures call them. I mean, this guy kills off the rats and weasels without blinking, always using revenge as a motive to not care, or because these guys are wicked, that they don't even have souls or lives. The fact that these runaway slaves are so good at handling weapons, far better than any rogue who's had many years experience using swords and such, can also be bending some reality rules here.

But there really isn't much realism here, I'll admit. I mean, when a mouse is the same size as a fox as a fox is to a squirrel, and when all the bad guys act like dumb idiots who have no idea how to keep pecking order, there isn't much room for reality left. How can a couple of dimwitted morons like Badrang's horde even be in a horde if they're always backstabbing one another and running away from woodland creatures in fear?

Adults and those with older mentalities will say these questions, but this is a children's book. And I actually did like it, even with those questions in mind. Skeptics will have a hard time reading it, like myself, but I really did like this book, no matter what insane flaws, and I did get a good few laughs from the bumbling villainy idiots.

If you're looking for a legend, you will actually find it here, and it is better than 'The Legend of Luke'.

I pretty much said it all in the title! This book is awesome! It's got the most action, battles, and the coolest bad guys! It's great! Read this book!

A fantastic story from the Redwall series, Martin the Warrior, is a mix of friendship and battles against a ruthless rat clan. This "National best seller" from Brian Jacques is about a mouse named Martin, who gets captured in the rat's prison. This story is full of foxes, lizards, moles, rats, and of course, mice. Most fantasy lovers and animal lovers will keep rereading this fantastic book about how friendship can help others in times of conflict. As most good stories are, all Brian Jacques books are well more than worth reading. And all animals have human characteristics.

I have to admit that when I first heard of the Redwall series, I had my doubts. I mean, a book about animals? However, I decided to give them a chance and now they are my favorite books of all time.
Martin the Warrior is my favorite out of the series. I love how the characters interact with each other in a way that makes you want to be more like them. They stuck together through everything, and in the end the slaves were freed and the sword that once belonged to Luke was returned to it's rightful owner, Martin the Warrior.
I recommend this book, as well as the whole series to kids of all ages. If you like the Redwall books, you will probably also like Brian jacques' other series, the Castaway series.

This is a great book for a young girl. I purchased the book with the intention of having a "talk" with my 9 yr old. This book explains so much without showing too much. I wanted to talk to her about her period but was not ready to talk to her about sex. This book gave so much more than what I had in mind. It talks about proper hygiene and eating habits. All around great book. I'm considering looking into the other American Girl library books.I recommend this book to every parent for their growing young ladies.

This is an excellent book for pre-teen girls who are just becoming aware of their body. It offers excellent advice on how to take care of their body and how to deal with changes that begin to happen. And best of all this information is presented in a very no-nonsense and friendly way that they can relate to at their age.

My 9 year old daughter simply loved this book. She read it from cover to cover in one sitting but keeps coming back and refering to it again and again. I wish I had read a book like this when I was a kid.

I also recommend the companion book The Feelings Book: The Care & Keeping of Your Emotions (American Girl). It seems kids today face more stresses than we did back in our day and books like the American Girl series really help supplement the talks you'll have with your child as a parent.

This is an outstanding book for pre-teen girls because it helps girls to feel confident in themselves. It gives helpful advice, and it covers everything that a young girl wants to know but may be embarrassed to ask. It allowed my two daughters to read about issues that are relevant to them, and then they felt comfortable talking to me. I highly recommend this book for moms and daughters alike.

My daughter and I have been talking about self-care, self-image, and confidence since she was able to talk. I got this book for her as an adjunct to our conversations. She read it in one day and wants to buy a few to give friends on their birthdays. She related to the book on a 10-year old level. I like that it is not too specific and therefore does not conflict with some of the more sensitive issues that we talk to her about. . I highly recommend this for parents of early tweens.

Our pediatrician recommended this book during my daughter's 10-year-old regular check up. My daughter has been reading it without much prompting. It's a good overall book for this age range. It is what I expected.

I have actually had to buy this book twice I read it so many times!! Amazing story of young love and sacrifice! I first bought this when I was 13 (I am now 26), and I just might pull it off the shelf and read it again! I love Lurlene McDaniel's books, but this one is by far my favorite!!

i read this book as a child and i loved it. it made everyone i know who read it cry.if u like lurlene mc daniel, you will love this book it was one of my favorites.

okay i know it's been said a thousand times but thus was a great book. it is so far my favorite lurelene mcdaniel book. It tells the story of Julie and her boyfrien Luke and his struggle with leukimia.i won't spoil the ending but it was a real tear jerker. i reccomend all of her books.

The book is called Don't die,My love.It is a tear jerking story.If one likes romance they will like this story.A good romance always pops out
some people and to some it does not and it always captures people in the moment. This certain romance is a realy, really good one and it really popped out to me.When people die it tears people apart.

This is my second time reading this book and what can I say, I cried both times..I love it!!! One of the BEST books I've ever read!!!It is probably one of the saddest book out there as well. Don't Die, My Love is about Luke and Julie who had been childhood lovers and now is in high school and has a love bigger than anything..Luke is the football star quarterback and is madly in love with Julie and she is madly in love with Luke..One day what seems to be a little bump on the neck turned into a serious illness and soon Luke is put into the hospital. Julie, with nothing to do, but be by his side all the way despite of everything..Their love is so powerful and so sweet..This book is definitely GREAT and SAD, it makes your heart wrench..I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone!! It is one that you won't regret reading!!!
P.S. Don't forget the Kleenex box=]

"I stumbled upon this book in my school library looking for a good book for a book report. I had no idea it was going to be so good! Even though it's fantasy, it is written so well you could almost believe it being real! This book had many mind-boggling ideas included, but that just made the whole plot more interesting! I don't know how anyone could not absolutely love this book! This is almost a monument in human literature."

Wow, this book is exciting and thrilling! If you are interested in adventures, you will love this book. Join Ben, Tom, Lindy, and the Professor as they try to travel to Whangdoodleland.
These children met the professor in an animal zoo and they discuss what animal they would have if they could have something unusual. The professor spoke about the unique Whangdoodle, and the children seem to be interested. However, the professor kept it a secret about how he knew about the Whangdoodle. On Halloween, Lindy, Ben and Tom went to a "haunted house," but to their surprise, the professor owned the creepy house. The children started visiting the professor, who began teaching them how to get to Whangdoodleland, an imaginary place where imagined creatures roam free, including the Whangdoodle! It took many tries, but they used their scrappy caps and imagination to succeeed. If you would like to meet some imaginary creatures, like the Whiffle Bird, read this book!
Some of the themes, or lessons we learned, were not to prejudge others, that your imagination is a really important thing, that you should always believe in yourself, and that you should never give up even if you feel greedy, selfish, or weak. A big theme is that genetics and cloning are difficult and controversial. If you want to learn more about these lessons, you have to read The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles!

I first discovered this book while working in a bookstore about 20 years ago. We had one dusty hardcover edition and employees were allowed to borrow hardcovers so long as we were careful to keep them in salable condition. I was intrigued by the flap description and began to read. Two hours later and by the end of the book I caught my breath and wanted more. I bought it because I couldn't stand the thought of not having it in my library. And then I ordered two more for the bookstore. Whenever anyone came in looking for "just the right book for a gift" I lauded it as "a book that will be the one they will never forget and will love forever". Over and over I would have customers come back to thank me for recommending "The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles" because it turned out to be the Most Favorite Gift of the child receiving the book. Quite often they would buy another copy for themselves or another child. If you don't have this book in your library, you should. In fact, you might want to buy two. One to keep, one to loan. You will treasure it in your heart for the rest of your days.

Last year, my daughter read this book and came home saying it was the best book she had ever read. She recommended it to me. At first, I was a little bit skeptical. I thought it was just a little fairytale for children, but I was wrong. My daughter began learning and sharing new and healthy lessons with me that she had learned from the book. Now, I can't wait to read it.

I read this to my 7yo son and 8yo daughter. I enjoyed it as much as they did!

This book was absolutely incredible! I could not put it down!! I have since ordered 5 more copies to give to friends and my mom because the book is that good! It is such a testiment of how faithful the Lord is and I learned so much about stories in the Bible from the way she includes scripture in the story. I felt like I was in the book and could relate to every character. Francine River has a beautiful gift from the Lord to put his grace and faithfulness into perspective throughout Mark of the Lion. Besides Redeeming Love, they are the best books I have ever read.

Rivers began as a romance novelist, and she remains one. Mark of the Lion is predictable, hits all the hot-button issues (abortion, homosexuality, right-to-die, etc.), and gives the reader a steady diet of evangelical Christian reinforcement. That said, the books are quick, easy reads, plot-driven and pleasant. If you enjoy happily-ever-after endings, historical fiction, and a persistent Christian message, you'll probably like these (my mother loved these books--she's a Nicolas Sparks fan). If you are interested in excellent literary craftsmanship, look elsewhere.

The mark of the lions series is probably one of the best series i have ever read. I couldnt put the books down! I was constantly in my bedroom reading for hours. The books have everything in them from spiritual to action to romance; and Reading about Hadassah's faith for the lord just makes your faith grow even stronger and to see how she faces such terrible promblems in wich i couldnt even imagine , she still clings to her faith .


This is truly an amzeing book. I would recommend it to anybody.

I absolutely love these books. I can't believe how good the writing is, how amazing the love story is, and how much I love the characters. They are an easy read that will suck you in and never let you go. They are my favorite books of all time and such an inspiration.

I could probably write a book about this series of books! In fact, my book club just finished talking about the second one last night! These are great Christian fiction literature. Rivers ties the characters together so well, and really does NOT make the characters too "fictionalized". You can really see the struggles that they go through, it could be real.
I really love all three of the books... probably my favorite Francine Rivers books.

This book was so bad that I actually keep it on the shelf so that I wont forget the author's name or the writing style. Nothing seemed coherent in this novel and the dialogue was awful.

I loved this book, even my mom liked it! We liked it so much we had to read the next one. This duet is awesome. I would recommend this book and its sequel to anyone interested in books about a girl who sets out to save her country and in doing so finds something totally different.- OOPS!!- I said to much, you will have to read it to get more info!!!

A great fantasy story of Meliara. She swears to her father on his deathbed that she will reclaim the kingdom, which was once her mothers, and she will reclaim it from the greedy King Galdran. This leads her village to a war against the king and will threaten the lives of the people and their homes. This is a great book for fantasy lovers and people who love stories about court life.

I have to agree with the editorial reviews above; this book is somewhat predictable and the plot is a bit trite (when a male & a female character bicker throughout the whole book, we all know what's going to happen at the end, right?). However, the characters are well-developed and the world is richly detailed, with a unique culture and customs.

As a 20-year-old English major and a connoisseur of young adult lit (it being the only section of the university library I can find my way around in), I'd recommend it for fans of YA girl-oriented fantasy. Anyone who likes Tamora Pierce, Donna Jo Napoli, Gail Carson Levine, or Robin McKinley should be satisfied with this series.

While this book has more action, I preferred the sequel, Court Duel. It's a bit hard to find unless you know what you're looking for - it's very hard to find on its own, but can be found bundled with Crown Duel in one volume, confusingly titled Crown Duel. It appears Amazon has finally cleverly changed it to "Crown Duel (Originally Published as the Two Books Crown Duel and Court Duel) (Firebird) (Paperback)," which clarifies things. It provides a satisfying conclusion to the story.

I love this book. Mel is strong, but believable. You can really relate with her even if you don't always think she is doing the right thing. I could not put this book down, and i did not want to!It is very well written and by the end of the book you feel like you have known Mel your whole life. As if you were there when all these things happened. Great,Great,Great Book!

Court Duel the sequel, is just as good!

It was a marathon, reading this book. It was worth it. Friends have said to me that getting through the first portion about the bishop was difficult, but I actually enjoyed it. It was beautiful. If you are considering it, I encourage you to pick it up. The length might be intimidating, but it's not a difficult book to read. If you're just beginning with it, press on and you will be rewarded.

This book is simply amazing. After a slow start I wondered why people had always said to me that the book was great. Then the story began to grow on me. The characters have such depth and as you watch their lives intertwine and change you cannot help but be swept away by the fantastic story. Though some people may be bored by histories and descriptions, as I sometimes found myself, they are absolutely essential to the story. Three of my friends who have read the book still can't describe how wonderful it is. My mother, father, brother, grandfather and aunt are all in line to read it. The book has a myriad of meanings but a few themes are: redemption, revolution, deperation, forgiveness and morality. This book is my favorite and trust me I have read many.

There is no doubt that Hugo can be quite long winded in telling this story, but it is worth every second. A classic story of human suffering, kindness, cruelty and redemption.

I didn't realize there are different translations of this work. I got half-way through this one, left it at home, visited the library in another city and checked out the book there, which turned out to be a different translation, one much more difficult to follow! In fact, I gave up and returned that book, and waited until I got home to take-up-where-I-left-off with this translation. Hugo certainly isn't an "easy read" (no brain-candy, this!) but I'm quite satisfied with my purchase.

I have read this incredible work of art several times and never cease to be amazed by the enormous impact it has on me. The first time I ever read it, I cried off and on for about three days, I was so moved. Victor Hugo tapped into something profound when he penned this story. It is long, yes, but I find that every little rabbit trail Hugo goes down has a very important point. I can just read the first chapter and feel humbled and challenged by his description of the way the bishop lived his life for God. It is better than most Christian devotionals I have read. Most people think of this as a somber story and indeed in many ways it is, but I am always surprised how much humor is infused into it as well. I have said it to many people and I say it here: every Christian should read this book. It is a perfect fictional example of how Christ can change anyone and of how believers should relate to their fellow man. I have even given it as a wedding present, considering it an excellent guide to living selflessly for another person. I challenge people to read it and see if they are not in some way changed.

This excerpt does a great job revealing the realities of war. It provides the perspective of the ones on the front line and does a wonderful job displaying the uncertainties that go along with warfare; however, it was a bit hard to follow at times, and it seemed a little "jumpy". Overall, great job!

I was an undergrad theatre major at the University of Iowa when Peter was a grad playwriting student there. His plays were entertaining, often darkly funny, grounded in a strong sense of narrative, and most of all intensely focused on ethical concerns... in particular the fundamental question of how to be a decent person when faced with untenable choices. It seems appropriate that he would turn his attention to the current Iraq war, which unfortunately provides many ways to explore that question on both a macro and micro scale.

I've only read the excerpt provided online here, but I was very engaged by the story and curious to find out where the war would take these fictional people. I found myself hoping that the character of Ryder finds a way to retain his humanity in a dehumanizing situation. More than that, I hope that Peter's work gets the chance to reach the wider audience it deserves.

I want to read more, to find out where Peter Ullian's deconstruction of situational ethics comes to rest, or if it does at all. Regarding comments about gratuitous sex and violence in Ullian's narrative: first of all, there isn't really any sex. The male characters think about sex constantly, which is what most men do in real life. As for the violence - exploding arms, dead kids - that sort of insanity happens every day in Iraq. It happened every day in Vietnam. I'm sure it's happening all over the world as we speak... and plenty of times there aren't even any American troops involved.

Okay, here's my armchair review:

With incongruous detachment, Ullian depicts an existence where "real" is a trainwreck of people and processes that don't belong together, and "ideal" is a faraway abstraction that propels the world like an invisible puppetmaster. Soldiers allegedly sent to free the Iraqi people from a tyrant train to do so by watching porn and listening to death-metal (apparently, that's typical in reality - during the Gulf War, Slayer was used as a soundtrack for Marine training maneuvers in Saudi Arabia). The only in-depth discussion among the characters is about country music. Cross-cultural understanding? Forget it. Would any of these guys bother to learn Arabic or read about the Five Pillars of Islam? I don't think so. The people they've been told they're freeing are "impassive, inscrutable" (from narrative). In a situation requiring immediate action, the unit leader lets his mind wander into random associations and memories, to the point where the "embedded" female journalist accompanying the unit has to render medical attention to another soldier.

I want to know where Ullian is going with this. The absurdity of existence? The ultimate subjectivity of moral/ethical frameworks? The pointlessness of nationalism? Is there a political agenda? Is the message here that everyone just bad and clueless? I'm curious now.

My first of two beefs with Ullian's prose is that his characters' dialogue is a little too Pynchon-esque: affected overemphasis and a deliberate lack of contractions. My second beef is that the characters' memories are less, well, personal than they could be. If Ullian is trying to convey his views on politics and society through the recollections of characters, and sometimes it's a little stilted.

Overall, I was intrigued and I want to read the rest of it.

Ullian has a talent for balancing the absurd and the tragic, to grimly wry effect. His cast of warriors, juiced on action movies, porn and video games, would seem like some out-there postmodern creation if they weren't so obviously reflective of the America they came from. Instead, the author has created a narrative of soldiers as products of the American culture they have come to spread. Ullian's portrait is ambivalent-- there's no denying the dark edge of his soldiers' sex-and-violence media mikvah in preparation for battle, but the men themselves remain reflective, human and sympathetic.

To Repair the World by P. Ullian opens with an argument of over what qualifies as 'real' country music. This debate introduces two of a host of characters, several with 'classics' names. To have a Ulysses, a Cassandra and Achilles on one mission together screams doom.

The settings, while as realistic as I can imagine them being for never having been in a war zone, fought for validation with the comical nature of the dialog. This wasn't funny ha-ha stuff, but really bordered on forced soudning. It read, in fact, very much like the interplays of Joseph Heller's 'Catch-22'. If the author means to update that story for contemporary times, more than 'insert Iraq detail here' needs to occur. The vibe of 'Catch-22' may be timeless, but it was a commentary and reflection on the times it was produced not just a darkly-humorous accounting of the absurdities of war life.

As I read through the excerpt it felt as if the author was inconsistent with portraying this story as serious or satirized. When I felt it leaning one way, it'd go back the other. This really hit home when Luther's arm was blown off and Curtis struggles with whether to stop the vehicle to tie a tourniquet. Curtis then goes on this drawn out political and moral thought line, while Luther is bleeding out. This was just too awkward given the uncommitted tone to that point.

Overall, though the author clearly is a talented writer, his attempt at putting his own modern stamp on a familiar tale just didn't sit right with me.