Authors Books

We have read this book repeatedly, and my first-grader enjoys it every time. Now he enjoys reading it to me. Great for beginning readers.

WHAT A JOY THIS BOOK IS. THE STORY IS FUN AND SO CUTE. ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES TO READ TO THE CHILDREN.

This is one of those that is an absolute delight to read to and with kids. A mouse, minding his own business is caught by a weasel who of coure plans to whip up a batch of Mouse Soup. Our fast talking little mouse simply talks his way out of the dinner by telling the weasel four delightful stories, thereby distracting the weasle and at the same time, teaching the weasle a good lesson. The illustrations are great the the story telling is of the highest quality. Cute is a word that is over used, but in this case I have to use it because it fits so well. This work is almost along the same lines as the famous Uncle Remus tales, but in many ways is more appealing. I liked this one and do highly recommend it. The art work alone is worth the price of the book.

I have to bow to a superior opinion in rating this book. After reading it to my 5 y.o. son, I had come to the conclusion that the subset of stories were pretty lame and uninteresting. I mean one of them is about two rocks that get lied to by a bird (or so the rocks think). And another is about a rose bush growing out of a comfy chair.

But my 5 y.o. informs me that I don't know what I am talking about. This book is great, he told me. And he convinced me that this was true by doing something his active little self seldom does: he went and got the book off his shelf and dragged his father over to the couch so that dad could listen to him read the stories. [Could have knocked me over with bookmark.]

The AR Reading level for this book is 2.4 which means that the Accelerated Reading committee, and it's software, suggests this book for Second Graders in their fourth month of school.

[The AR designation is a general "guide" that rates books on a relative scale of difficulty. Children can certainly read at levels above or below their group range, so that this number should only be used as a aid to help choose books that are appropriate and not frustrating.]

Four Stars. This book has a mouse cum Scheherazade premise: A weasel captures a poor little mouse and the mouse plots to get out of being eaten by telling stories. The stories the mouse tells didn't appeal to me, but my five y.o. son sure liked them. The AR reading level indicates the book is suitable for Second Graders.

This is a completely adorable, inspired and inspiring creation by Mr. Lobel. This book with audio was a mainstay of my children's early years and holds memories we will always cherish.

i am not a novel fan but this (trilogy) really got me, i can't stop reading them, one after another. so wicked and facinating especially the ending. who likes intense plot should read the books.

As other reviewers have noted the plot well and carefully, my only comment to add here is that this book is as confounding as life itself: the scene that is always continous is never the same twice. It is rewritten over again and again..the characters are the same, or are they?
It is a different novel depending on what level you read it..a war novel, a novel about love and friendship, a novel about truth and lie, a novel about memory and forgetting: it is a cross between the kind of novel Gunter Grass has written, and also the kind of novel Kundera wrote..quite amazing.

This is probably the best book you will read this year. Her writing is incredible, the plot fascinating in its historic and geographic absurdity (where are we? East Germany? Hungary?), the details vivid and unforgettable. Why are her other books not translated?

Mathias is a boy whose life has so many imperfections. He is troubled with looking like an ogre being born deformed. The doctors said that he will be like that for the rest of his life. His mother left him to go live in the big city and his father, who is also his mother's father, is in jail or maybe even dead.

Left to the care of Lucas, Mathias lives out his life from an intelectual stand point. Lucas taught him that while other children would grow big and strong, so would he. Mathias corrected Lucas knowing damn well the sadness of the truth. Lucas explained that he would work hard on his mind a grow an ever strong unsderstanding of the world around him. Sure enough, Mathias did just that and was the envy of all his classmates for always having the right answers.

Lucas loved Mathias very much, but was only a boy himself when he took on the responsibility of raising him. Lucas is a very unikely Father being one with such a disturbed past and shady presence. He goes around the city making money at night by playing his harmonica in bars and by selling produce by day. His relationships are very odd including the priest of the town who he plays chess with on a nightly basis. Lucas himself does not believe in God, but the priest takes the role of a father figure for him in the story. He also has relations of a more intimate kind with 2 women and a man in the story.

I first read "The Notebook" when I was in High School. A Video Game known as "Earhtbound 64" (never released) had led me to read this story. ONe character from that game would have been based from this story. I had no idea what I was about to read. It definitely warped my mind as a youth and became an instant favorite. Now 5 years later I read "The Proof" and remembered why it is I had enjoyed "The Notebook" so much tp begin with.

This story is definitely not for the weak at stomach. It is can become pretty disturbing and downright sickening at some points of the story. It is, however, very well written and leaves feeling emotions the characters must have felt when they were going through the events in their lives.

There aren't that many amazing books to read in the world. How often do you take a book and find that it lacks that something that keeps you awake at night or makes you wake up early (when you adore sleeping) just to read it? This is not a thriller (which can have the same effect but for different reasons). This is a monster itself, but in the best sense possible. You just can't miss it. For anything.

I was surprised how much I liked this book. Its a collection of 10 stories that all have the same character, a woman named Elly. Usually I don't really like short stories or a book comprised of a collection of stories. Its just by the time I get to know & enjoy the characters, background, and the plot, the story ends. They're just too short! Hence the definition of a short story.

I liked how some stories centered around Elly and in some stories Elly was a secondary character. My two favorite stories were "Praire Dogs and "Other Fish in the Sea." I liked the character "Praire Dogs" focused on, a young artist named Lydia. I think it would be neat if the author decided to write another book similar to this one but use the character of Lydia as the common thread connecting all the short stories.

Other Fish in the Sea not only brings back memories of my 20's but the journey involved in discovering contentment and possibly the love of our life.

I love the creative way author Lisa Kusel incorporates a series of short stories all interconnected with one character, a young woman who experiences the anguish of love, heartache, and pain. Kusel's writing suggests the possibilities of affecting the lives of those around us, even in situations where we're merely bystanders or have no personal or frequent contact with that individual.

Kusel is a talented and up and coming author. Her humor, attention to detail, and insight into the grooves of relationships is remarkable. I recommend this book to all of the hopeless romantics and look forward to reading her future novels. It's a great read. You won't be dissapointed.

I wasn't greatly happy with these stories when I first started the book, but it becomes apparent that the character building is weak initially because it's all filled in with the other stories in the book. They're all connected, in that they are stories from random times in the life of the "main" character, Elly, who is a woman in one unsuccessful relationship after another. She's a little crazy, a little neurotic, sometimes trying to hard, sometimes not caring enough, but it's all pretty interesting.
She actually mentions my alma mater, Wake Forest, in one of the stories, and it makes me wonder if the meeting with that student in Europe in one of the stories is based on any real life event.

I found this book by chance. I was intrigued by the title. I could not put it down. I was laughing, crying and watching Elly grow. It was cool how you got to see her through her own eyes and through other people's perspectives. That was my favorite part. I was so happy with the ending. I never saw it coming. I read this book in about a day. I hope to see more from Lisa Kusel if she keeps writing like this. This is a book that any woman can relate to in some way. It is just that incredible.

as a 40-year old male, I found this book an excellent ride.

Funny, insightful, and a clever use of personal letters to say so much about a character without having to come right out and say it.

Travel, strange dreams, and love in a dentist chair -- what more does a book need? Oh yeah, good creative writing and it has that, too!

I'm looking forward to another dozen hours of fun with Lisa Kusel's next book.

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...

I learned so much from these books. (I have all 3) They are amazing! Very easy to read and understand, just great!

While these volumes are now online, I love having them in print because I can't read for long periods of time in an electronic format. These books are great for every day real questions that people ask about the Catholic Church, from the most common to the most absurd. The two fathers always answer in a frank and honest manner - they do not mince words, but they are charitable. Well in the top 100 Catholic books.

These books are probably the best resource available for someone wishing to learn about Catholicism and faith in general. The authors respond to the toughest questions posed by Protestants, Agnostics, Atheists, and other non-Catholics. The answers are simple, brief, and logical. The only downfall is the fact that they pre-date the Vatican II council; otherwise this set captures the faith quite well, and is indexed by topic. If you are a Catholic looking to expand your knowledge of your religion, or are questioning the beliefs of the Church, I challenge you to read these books. Also, I challenge any Protestant to read the responses of the authors on any doctrine you find difficulty believing. Every question has a strong and complete answer. These books are a must-have!

This three-volume set is considered a classic text of Catholic apologetics. The writing is clear, concise, and relentlessly logical. The arguments put forth are a remarkable combination of common sense, logic, and Scriptural reference. Not only does the book give Protestants, agnostics, humanists, and atheists a lot to think about, it is a fantastic resource for Catholics who desire a full understanding of our religious beliefs and practices, top to bottom. The big difference between Volumes 1 and 2 is that the latter responds to far more challenging questions, delving deeper into the same general topics covered in Volume 1.

I covered Volumes One and Two under those listings, so this is about Volume Three. As the series progresses, the questions get harder. Volume Three covers Church dogma and morals in great detail. In particular, the sixty year-old commentary on morals is eerily, sadly prophetic. The consequences of a drift toward complete moral relativism are described as a nightmare scenario, yet how much of it has come to pass--steadily rising divorce, abortion, alienation, violence, division into smaller and smaller groups dedicated only to the advancement of some self-proclaimed social imperative. Undoubtedly, to a non-believer, the prophetic quality of the arguments is the strongest point in their favor. It is not hard to see the moral quagmire we live in (if one only bothers to look), but to see it so clearly when it was just forming--that requires a true vision, a true perspective. For the believer, the truth of the Fathers' arguments is self-evident, for it is simply the Word of God.

By writing the stories from every character's point of view, Dubus gave me an understanding of why people do the things they do. It sounds simple enough, but it obviously isn't. People we know or read about, suddenly explained.

I just finished reading Dubus's Selected Stories for the fourth time. I've also read his other books, and I'm glad to report that Dubus is one of the few writers whose work can be read again and again with increased pleasure, a rare enough thing.

So many kinds of stories are packed into this volume -- short stories and novellas, deep character studies ("A Father's Story"), topical stories ("The Fat Girl"), "high concept" stories ("Killings"), stories with a deep knowledge of the intersections among family, sex, and faith ("Voices from the Moon"), stories that understand compassion and forgiveness ("Rose"), and stories that explore love in the midst of reckless violence ("The Pretty Girl")

Although many of these stories are thrilling enough, plot-wise, to keep you reading, it's the deep knowledge of the motivations, the pecadillos, the generosities, the anger, the unease, the longings, and most of all the love we are all capable of holding in our hearts, all at once, that makes these stories so worthwhile. Andre Dubus does not shy away from the dark places, and he writes his characters with such empathy that we are willing to go there with them, with him.

Selected Stories is an important book, and a book well worth a patient first read. I think it is a book that will stand the test of time. If there is any justice in the world, it will be read a hundred years from now, a necessary bit of news about what it was like to live in the twentieth century, no less indispensible than Hemingway, Faulkner, or Fitzgerald, and ten times as wise.

Andre Dubus's stories, as they wrestle with the issues of religion, morality, and familial duty, captivate the reader with strong narration and elegant foreshadowing. They also employ various shifts in point of view, and sustain the reader's interest while taking detours for lengthy description and interesting back-story.

I was unable to finish the book all in one shot because I found I needed to stop and reflect in between stories, so moved was I--mostly because Dubus had a way of taking our simple understandings of the world--juxtaposing violence and innocence, faith and the faithless, priests and adulterers, sinners and the redeemed, the dead and the living--and making them complex.

I was bowled over by some of the first stories in the selection, "Killings" and "The Pretty Girl", which take horrible, violent situations and try to make some sense of them by offering the protagonists the opportunity for revenge. But the satisfaction in that revenge is fleeting for it takes almost as much out of those who have acted out of revenge than the original crime did.

"If They Knew Yvonne" is another story of revenge--except this time it is a young man who at one point seeks to wash away his sin (masturbation) by doing himself physical harm. He does not like that he is weak in his body and seems to believe that his sin taints the rest of his life. That is until a priest sets him straight. In the end, he is left reflecting on his two young nephews and hoping for a better understanding for them.

At his best, I think, is Dubus when he took the POV of a woman or girl. In "Anna" , the protagonist, Anna Griffin age 21, helps her boyfriend, Wayne, to rob a drugstore and is then weighed down by guilt (although she never names it as such--either she is incapable, unaware or avoiding the truth). After the robbery, Anna and Wayne go to their local bar and get drunk--out of a sense of exhilaration and fear. In a poignant moment, Anna walks outside to clear her head and briefly reveals her youth and, perhaps, her sense of hopefulness (which one imagines will never be fully realized)--almost as though she is reborn. With the money they have stolen, Anna and Wayne buy a bunch of things at the mall (instead of filling their fridge). But neither of them can fully enjoy these things as they imagined they would. They are still the same, poor desperate couple but with a vacuum cleaner, television and stereo. It would be easy to project their path as one of disaster, but Anna's hopefulness in the end leaves the door open for a breakthrough. In the Laundromat, she washes their clothes and seems to cleanse them both of their sins and bring them back to the beginning.

"A Father's Story" is the last story in the book and the only one I had read previously. It is deserving of its location and an intense and moving story--once again how man can become his own God and thus be forgiven for what he does to protect his children.

Still, the story that left me most breathless was the second to last one, "Adultery." It is a complex story of a husband--Hank (a writer)--and wife--Edith--who have fallen into an open marriage (the husband sort of springs it on her several years in that he believes in fidelity but not monogamy). For a few years, Edith takes revenge on Hank by taking several lovers, but he is nonplussed and brings his own girlfriends by the house on occasion. It is not until Edith commits adultery with the ex-priest Joe--whose frail body comes to embody their sin--that she is awakened. It is when Joe becomes ill with cancer and has his final point of communion (the night before he is admitted to the hospital for good they have sex one last, fevered time) that Edith realizes what she must do--still it takes a while for her realization to live and it is not until the very end that she speaks it: she will divorce Hank--thus signaling the death of her true love. She sacrifices their marriage to condone for the sins they have all committed.

What is most beautiful about Dubus's writing is his love of his characters. He seems not to judge them. He seems to see their faults, allow them their failings, ask that they redeem themselves and then offer them forgiveness. He is, then, their God--but not a pure God, not a God without sin himself. A God who can empathize because, in the end, that's all we really have that makes us human.

Not to dismiss acknowledged contemporary story writers like Updike, or Carver, or Doyle or Oates or a dozen others you may have read in school or out, Andre Dubus is BREATHTAKING! He captures the angst of the internal, the behavior of the external, the glint of the physical detail, the subtlety of emotion like NO other contemporary writer. After reading hundreds of short story writers, I have never been so moved and learned so much about he human heart. Put down your DSM-IV, therapists, put away the existential tracts of Camus & Sartre, and PLEASE put away that post-modern numbing theory. Learn about life through the characters, places and situations you shall discover among these brilliant tales. Now, here is a true anecdote. I had read a story in this collection "Killings," and said to myself, this would make a FABULOUS film. I was all set to translate fiction to the screenplay genre. It was going to be a stunning work no studio would turn down. Then low and behold, it was all in vain. This story became "IN THE BEDROOM," the award-winning film. So obviously, my intuitions were confirmed. Read these stories for confirmation of what it means to be alive, for here you will discover the principle behind Joseoph Campbell's remarks about the meaning of myth: "Life is struggle; life is pain, but by God, you know you're ALIVE!

I just received this book yesterday but have already looked all the way thru it glancing at the recipes...Which look very good. There is also little stories and bible verses..A good collection to my cookbooks.

I find this book to be such a great help to me in my daily life, I recently lost my 18 year old grandson in a car wreck, it's a great lost to our whole family, but Wanda's devotional has really helped me in many ways. I recommend this book to anyone, it can only inprove their spititual life.

I love this devotional! It helps me to slow down and enjoy life and all God has given to me. I have gone through the book once already, and now I am reading it again, but this time I'm sharing it with my husband. He is also enjoying it. The recipes at the end of each devotional are a nice addition. I have even tried a few!

This is a delightful book that helps me to start my day "simply" every day. The stories are a gentle reminder to appreciate God's gifts in every moment. And the recipes are just wonderful. I have made the melt in your mouth biscuits so often that my book is permanently creased in that spot! And my kids love the haystacks and double treat cookies. This books is really jam packed with recipes and inspiration. Thank you Wanda Brunstetter! :)

I loved this devotional. Each day I take the time to have that breath of fresh air of thoughts and appreciation for the life I have. This book has helped to ground me and make me mindful of what I take for granted. Great read!

So far I've only read the first two of the three stories. (Based on the reviews that I've seen here, I'm looking forward to reading the last one.) It's easy to say that I really liked them, but a bit harder to say why I liked them - but I'll try. With respect to Eric Albert's "Charmed, I'm Sure", it's the combination of real eroticism, a natural cleverness, and a subtle sense of humor that doesn't get in the way of the eroticism. With respect to Greta Christina's "Bending", it's an intriguingly erotic idea taken to a pretty extreme level, but in a way that, although erotic, is also gentle and touching. With respect to Jill Soloway's "Jodi K", I'll have to wait until I read it - but based on the company that it is keeping, I strongly suspect that I'll it too.

"Avrat taldor"could become some household phrase you say to your wingman when you're at the bar and you spot your next victim. They're the words that the protagonist must use so his newly acquired sexual powers over others--and by others I mean everyone and anyone--can take root. Of course musing on how pleasant it would be to have that kind of sexual control, access, and opportunity would suffice as erotic adventure, but it's by far the only hypothesis that unravels. In all the slick sensuality, raw physicality, and relentless humor, there remain newer, deeper philosophical territories that make the narrative richer for the digging. I trusted the author's craft from the start, so I knew the plot wouldn't fizzle out into 'the evil temptress- poor exploited hero' dynamic or become an archaic warning about what you get when you trust a female. The story does beckon to some fairytale genre conventions including a witch and a stone, but uses these conventions in a fresh, upbeat way. In effect, Albert becomes the sorcerer, you, the protagonist, the book, your stone, the words, your presented spell, your unleashed sexual thirst, the ensuing outcome, a formula that will leave you, as it did me, "Charmed, I'm Sure".

I love Jodi K, Jill Soloway's perfect little novella -- it's a slice of Judy Blume, but for adults. Jodi K is funny and completely believable; she somehow manages to be sympathetic even when she complains about her father's obsession with the Holocaust. This book is surprisingly sexy, too, that confusing, vague kind of sexy that hovers over you during puberty, when everything is charged with meaning and longing and esprit sweatshirts. I could listen to Jodi K's voice forever, and secretly wish that Soloway would expand Jodi K into a full length novel or (dare I dream?) a book series.

With Three Kinds Of Asking for It, Susie Bright once again presents us with a collection of erotic novellas that we will want to read over and over.There is a certain indelible thread of earthly spirituality that unites these three superb novellas novellas.All are about transformation and change. For me, the hottest, most memorable and interesting stories about doing IT always include this element and I certainly was not disappointed here.
In Eric Albert's supremely witty,Charmed,I'm Sure, our hero discovers what is under the fine print when he enters into a contract with a very modern witch who accepts credit card payment for her spells. In Bending, beautifully written by Greta Christina, a woman who prefers one sexual position over all others, pushes her sexual envelope so far out she finds a whole new world inside. In Jill Soloway's very wise and very funny Jodi K. we find out what happens when a smart and lovely fourteen year old gets a crush on her best friend's father. All three of these novellas end with a surprise that left me breathless and delighted.
Three Kinds Of Asking For It is a book I want to give to all my friends.
Tsaurah Litzky, author of The Motion Of The Ocean

I'm the author of several books on NeoPaganism. I've also been writing and selling porn stories for about a decade.

In "Charmed, I'm Sure," a dash of magic helps fantasy meet reality, but our hero gets much more than he bargained for. The story is a wild ride, intensely erotic and playful. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. "Bending" is a fascinating journey deep into one woman's very particular kink -- and out the other side. It got me off and made me think. That's all we can ever ask of sex writing.

I wasn't as enamored of "Jodi K," hence the missing star. But the book is worth buying for the first two stories.

I just finished reading Symphony of Secrets and loved it! I enjoyed how she wrote about a non-Christian and her journey towards faith which is unique in Christian fiction. Hinck made flutist Amy Johnson seem real as a musician with music affecting her whole life. I enjoyed all the music references. The dialogue was snappy and fun. The mother-teen daughter relationship was very real as well. I really appreciated how Amy was moved by the more classical piece she had to perform at the Basilica rather than through the contemporary music at the church her best friend attended. Of course all the Minnesota references were fun to visualize. Amy's sleuthing sometimes got a little over-the-top.

It is obvious the author is planning a sequel--I just hope it is sooner than later! I am anxious to see the church Amy chooses and her continued spiritual growth, Clara finding her father, and of course how her relationship with Peter, the conductor, develops. He is very endearing.

This is the first book I have read of Hinck's because I do not like sci-fi and the books about the young mom didn't interest this grandmother. But she nailed it with this one for me. I am seriously considering having our book club read it next year. I will certainly
recommended it to them as an interesting, fun, and good read.

Symphony of Secrets is the story of Amy Johnson who is a music teacher and single parent to Clara, her fifteen-year-old daughter. When a position for a flutist in the Minneapolis Symphony becomes available, Amy has the chance to fulfill the dream she gave up when she became pregnant. However, due to mysterious events that keep happening, the symphony is in danger of being closed and Amy's dream will once again be lost.

Adding to Amy's stress is the fact that Clara, who is also musically talented, is much more interested in being a cheerleader at her school than in studying music. Amy dreads having to socialize with "cheerleader moms" and participating in fundraisers. When the situation arises where she must choose between attending Clara's cheerleading competition or playing a solo at a symphony-sponsored event, Amy relives the guilt she feels at having let Clara down in the past.

Amy is a very dynamic character. Watching her agonize over the decision to be honest with Clara about her father's identity was moving. The guilt she felt about secrets from her past initially prevented her from trying to build a relationship with God. Her gradual change from disbelief to being open to the possibility of the existence of a higher power was well chronicled. I thought it was great that she did not have a revelation and instantly become religious because that is not how faith occurs. It grows over time.

My only difficulty with the story was the way Amy constantly put herself in dangerous situations while trying to find out who was sabotaging the symphony. She seemed obsessed with keeping her dream alive, regardless of the consequences. As a parent, she should acted more responsibly and let the authorities investigate.

Symphony of Secrets is a good story with great characters that contains two important messages. The first is that God seeks us out because He wants to help us. The second is not to make quick judgments about other people because first impressions are often misleading.

Armchair Interviews says: Unique look at parental love--and human guilt.

Single mother/music teacher Amy Johnson finally gets the break she has longed for--a place in the Minneapolis Symphony. It's a much needed boost after her daughter Clara announces that, instead of devoting more time to music, she is joining the cheerleading squad. Amy is quickly swept into a thrilling world of ego-driven musicians and concert sabotage. Wait, what? Concert sabotage? Yes, Amy's taste for mystery is challenged as well when strange "disasters" put the history of the Minneapolis Symphony in jeopordy. When Clara begins asking questions about her father, Amy has a much more intense problem than a mystery to sort out.

I have loved every one of Sharon Hinck's books and this story was no exception. Many moms will relate to Amy's parenting insecurities, her struggles over past mistakes, and her desire to follow life-long dreams. Symphony of Secrets is a fun yet heart-touching story of dreams and secrets . . . and yes, a little bit of mystery.

I just finished Symphony of Secrets. Oh my. The story transported me into the symphonic world through the main character's passion for all things music--and I can barely carry a note. But this is what I look for in literature. I want to go someplace, feel something, and see the world from a new perspective. Hinck did that for me...again.

Amy is a single mom, balancing deferred dreams and her teenager's new-found independence. Sound like a cliché? Not in Hinck's deft hands. A lyrical narrative (of course!) and a fresh plot keep the pages turning. The Restorer's series is still my favorite pilgrimage into Hinck-created worlds, but Symphony of Secrets is deliciously delightful.

Amy Johnson's plans for a concert career hit a discordant note when unexpected motherhood finds her to taking up teaching instead to support her daughter.

When she is finally noticed by the Minneapolis Symphony's enigmatic new conductor, Amy's lifelong desire nears fulfilment. When mysterious accidents begin to befall her musical colleagues, Amy determines to use her investigative skills, finely honed from years of reading mysteries, to uncover the saboteur and save the Symphony and her fledgling career.

Symphony of Secrets swept me away into the world of talented flautist, Amy Johnson and her slightly neurotic outlook on life, parenting and the neighbours next door! Sharon Hinck effortlessly pens this engaging tale with smart characterisation, light intrigue and the fascinating machinations of a working orchestra. Amy's befuddled interactions with her teenage daughter Clara, and her sudden desire to become a cheerleader, are funny and voiced beautifully. The definitions of musical terms heading each chapter were enlightening and a fun lead in to the tone of the pages to follow. Underlying this buoyant tale, Amy's inner struggle against her circumstances provides a lesson in patience and the beauty of hope. Bravo, Sharon!

very good,worth reading,written by various people.....
enjoyable,gets you thinking,nice photographs too.
As you may or may not know African coyly hair is quite unique in vision, texture, behaviour and probably in chemical make up too. Coily haired women around the world, go to the most extremes in terms of spending.
(Spending time, spending pain and the spending price to have African coily hair styled)
A hairstyle that we believe looks good or will help us to become socially and economically advanced.
Or maybe for our own self-esteem and maybe to attract the charms of a love interest. Either way your hair is a reflection of the state of your consciousness, your internal beliefs and your relationship with the world.

This book is like having group therapy or interviewing other women,but it is not all black women's views.I am reviewng it because I think it is worth a read.

As you may or may not know African coily hair is quite unique in vision, texture, behaviour and probably in chemical make up too. Coily haired women around the world, go to the most extremes in terms of spending.
(Spending time, spending pain and the spending price to have African coily hair styled)
A hairstyle that we believe looks good or will help us to become socially and economically advanced.
Or maybe for our own self-esteem and maybe to attract the charms of a love interest.
Either way, psychologically and philosophically I believe that your hair is a reflection of the state of your consciousness, your internal beliefs and your relationship with the world.
What about exploring physics through african hair?
For example how much pressure, gravity and tension and tearing do we put our hair through by combing it?
let alone excessive harsh combing.
Mathematically speaking how many of you readers can tell me how many curls/coils per inch your hair has, and does it vary in coil and moisture?
Next question:When does the nature of the hair change and why?
(i know it does!)
It seems to me all these books on afro hair are good and I welcome it, but we still need to be more informed and they all seem to need better editing, just like Black American beauty magazines.I must campaign for better grammar and less air brushed photos!!!
It is as if we like to see ourselves falsely rather than the reality of what we are...
Black women need to demand more scientific reasoning from our books and be less competitive over black men which only fuels their egos and as a result probably creates more baby-mothers!!!
Sorry but I had to vent out my opinions.

I give this book four stars for the effort and time invested as a writer I know it takes time...
I maintain that it is still worth reading,more than any carcinogenic chemical so called hair treatment that you pay for.

Anyway what do I know I am a black african british woman!!!!
Most of you Americans think we in Britain have no trains or any kind of progressive development!!!
Anyway if I wrote my book answering my questions that I put to you how many of you would buy it?

This is a wonderful book for anyone who would like to explore the issues that Black women face vis a vis our hair from a variety of viewpoints; not just the "politicaly correct" ones.

The book was all that, very positive, and at times emotional (I'm thinking of the passage where a father is trying to figure out how to braid his daughter's hair since her mother is across the country. His trying, and eventually getting it right, turned into bonding sessions for them. It was beautiful.) Of course the book had my favorite culture critic, bell hooks, and as usual she gave me a new persepective: to look at the whole "perm" phenomena as initiation into womanhood. Just about any Black woman who was on the brink of adolescence and was dying to get a perm should relate to that. I did. That's what this book does, it helps Black women to see just how similar our trials have been with our hair; and it's not just a generational thing. Black women from 50 to 80 years ago had the same issues and thoughts Black teenagers have today. Everyone remembers hot combs and Goody pink rollers and Royal Crown grease. Looking back many women had feelings of remembered pain, and not just from the burns on the tips of their ears and on their scalps, but inside their hearts for our collective struggle with an unattainable beauty standard.
What I also admired about this book was that it touched on the subject of hair and erotic intimacy. There was a whole section devoted to hearing the responses of Black women and men when confronted with the bedroom question: Can I run my fingers through your hair? It showed a depraved relation to our hair. In order to get and keep that salon fresh look, sleek and shiny, it must not be touched (by you and most especially your lover). Hair does not bring pleasure in the sense of us luxuriating in how it feels. How can you when it's not even yours? Weave. A woman tells the story of a young man with whom she was getting intimate with, and he wanted to run his fingers through her seemingly long shiny tresses. The moment was interrupted when he felt the hard tracks on her scalp before she could effectively slap his touch away. "You have to train these men early," another woman admonishes, "not to touch the hair." A man married for over 20 years complains of his wife's hair roller pins always poking him when she's "going down on him." He also hates, but has gotten used to, her wearing a head scarf anytime they make love. It is described in the book as Black folks having perpetual menege trios, he, she, and the head scarf. Another man wakes up to his girlfriend's "100% Korean Hair" all over the bed and floor after an especially heated night; he later ends up paying $200 dollars to have it all put back in again. The women speak of not even wanting to touch their own hair, refering to it being "hard as a rock" from gels and hair sprays. It's all in the name of a certain look, the processed one. (It's this look that lured their mates in the first place right?) It's sad that Black women talk about orchestrating certain sex positions around not messing up their fresh 'do. "You don't even think about it after while." They compensate not allowing their men to touch their hair with confidence and boldness in their performance, "It's so good he won't even be thinking about touching my hair."

I love this book. It isn't just politics or just us behind closed doors. Every possible reference to what is done to our hair is mentioned, even going bald. A Muslim woman opened my eyes to how not showing her hair takes away from having to compete for attentions based on beauty standards of hair, by being above them. It reminds us that as women, we shouldn't let physical beauty define us, even though most times it does, and we let it. "Ms. Strand" tells her tale with humor, cultural criticism, African storytelling, and 'round tha way truthfulness, barring nothing from the conversation. Truly, Tenderheaded should not be passed over.

I expected to really enjoy this book, but was disappointed. Some of the stories/essays were very good, but some of them were poorly written and/or could have done with some serious editing. It might have been better if some of them had been omitted: the book would probably have been half as long, but the overall quality would have been significantly improved.

I was also disappointed by the way the book was laid out. It seemed jumbled and poorly conceived. Photos, illustrations and cartoons/comics were seemingly thrown in randomly, with little context or relation to the surrounding content. The graphic content of the book was good, but the layout just did not display it to full advantage.

The idea behind this book was a good one, but the execution could have been a little bit better.

This is a very unique book. I have to say I LOVED IT! My being a young black woman, all the stories hit close to home. This book gave a non-bias look at black women's hair, and black culture all around the world including here in America. It gave many view points, from men women, blacks and even whites. I recommed this book to anyone who is confused about their hair and themselves. Nappy is defiantly Happy!!!! Peace.