Novels Books

This book is original and thought provoking especially coming from a women with a conservative and traditional Christian past. If more of us Christians could love as Christ loves without judgement or preachiness, it would revolutionize our Church and our ministries. It could, as Kay dreams of, Change The World.

I was skeptical about this book at first. I thought it would be more fluff than substance, but I was thankfully wrong all the way around. This book was both easy and very hard to read. Kay did a great job writing in style that is easily understood, however the words are hard to read in the way they convict you in so many ways.

If your walk with the Lord has grown stagnant or you don't see have passion or drive in your life I strongly recommend you read this book. I think this book is needed for all Americans, as we live out our comfortable safe lives relative to most everybody else in the world.

I promise if you give this book a chance you will not be disappointed and will certainly walk away with more than a few topics to think about.

This is a wonderful book yet also disturbing in a way. It had a big impact on me and challenged me to live with focus on helping those in need. If you have a home, food in the fridge, clothes in a closet like me then you have more than most people. I have to stop whining about my meager problems and consider how can I use what I have to help others. Kay is real about her flaws and struggles. She gives light to the problems of poverty, disease, bad leadership, spiritual emptiness and illiteracy that she personally witnessed around the world. She shares her desire to do good and the struggle it actually takes to leave an area of familiarity and safety to fight the wrongs and injustice so many experience around the world.

Although Kay Warren is an Evangelical Christian and I am a Conservative Rabbi, I found her honest, personal portrait inspiring. Her tale reveals that by listening for and responding to the Divine call to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, she expanded her horizons, deepened as a person, and strengthened her relationship with God.

Kay Warren is an extraordinary woman and should be praised for writing this shocking and enlightening book. She reveals how she became "seriously disturbed" after reading a magazine article in 2002 focusing on the AIDS pandemic. She was stunned and distressed that the article stated there were 12 million AIDS orphans in Africa. The statistics were staggering and horrific! She couldn't understand how this could be happening without her knowledge. She wondered why people weren't doing more to stop this pandemic. After much research on HIV/AIDS, she realized she couldn't sit back and ignore these people.

It took courage and self-sacrifice for this pastor's wife to leave her warm, comfortable California home to journey into the midst of the AIDS pandemic in Africa in 2003, and later to other parts of the world plagued with the AIDS pandemic. Her journey took her to areas where young children and adults were dying each day from this insidious disease. In some way, she felt she had to do something to alleviate their suffering by sharing her love with them. She witnessed the social stigma, rejection, persecution, and shame these people faced daily. It would have been easy to simply forget that this tragedy was a reality. Yet, this special woman realized that she couldn't ignore the call from God to "act up" and reach out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.

While away from home, she discovered that she had breast cancer. Shortly after this battle, she was diagnosed with another form of cancer. This wasn't enough to stop a woman on a mission. She knew her mission in life and had said, "Yes" to God.

This is a brutally honest account of her journey into HIV/AIDS activism. As an AIDS activist myself, I felt so much admiration for Kay Warren. Her activism struck a chord within me. I know how my elderly mother felt when she was battling HIV/AIDS due to a tainted blood transfusion while undergoing heart bypass surgery in 1983. She was one of the first victims of HIV. She kept her illness a secret because she feared rejection. Many of the people Ms. Warren met felt dirty and ashamed of their illness. I know my own mother did even though she was infected through a blood transfusion. It's difficult to imagine that the stigma still exists after 25 years of the AIDS pandemic. Kay Warren teaches us we should not sit idly by while these people suffer in silence. I totally agree with her. Hopefully, others will hear her message and join the fight.

Being the wife of Pastor Rick Warren, of the Saddleback Church in California, she believes that all churches must take an active role in educating people about HIV/AIDS. What a difference this would make.

In "Dangerous Surrender," Ms. Warren teaches us lessons about love, acceptance, courage, compassion and faith. It wasn't always an easy or pleasant experience, but the desire to do the will of God surpassed any hesitancy she might have experienced. I applaud Kay Warren for her generous gift of love and acceptance to those in need of compassion and understanding. This book taught me to say "Yes" to God and not question His ways.

"Dangerous Surrender" was one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. If more people were like Kay Warren this world would be a better place. We all have a choice in life. We can sit and simply watch the pain and evil in the world or we can make a decision to ease the suffering of those in need by surrendering to God's will as Kay Warren did. I highly recommend this outstanding book.

A Burden of Silence: My Mother's Battle with AIDS

Very original, highly entertaining, hilariously funny in a couple of places, with a bittersweet twist at the end.
This is an adult oriented novel about a young man growing up in early Nordic society. It touches on adventure, politics, friendship, spirituality and human nature.
The editing could have been better, but it's still a great read.
I wish there were a sequel.

This book is the best and most enjoyable book ive ever read!
It is imposible to explain in simple words how it made me feel.
Just read it yourself.

I do not normally comment on books I have read. However, this is the best book I've read in years. The story grabs you from the first page and doesn't let you go even after the ending. This author definately has the gift of "gab!" I have not been able to find anything else by this author. Does anyone out there have any info on him? If so email me.

I have read and reread this book so many times. I love it. My original copy has fallen apart despite the many layers of tape and duct tape. It is everything a good book should be. If you are a lover of european or norse history and appreciate a good story about believable, likeable people, this is not to be missed.

I ran across this book during one of those times when you just do not know what you want to read. Sort of like a burn out on fantasy which is my favorite reading.

This is one of those books that you can read, then a few months later blow the dust off and read again. I have read it 3 times now and am just amazed at this writers ability to keep me interested. From the first page to the finale it is wonderful and rich story telling. I do not think he has any other work out there, which is a shame because with this style of writing I could easily call him my favorite writer.

To give away too much of the story in this review would not do the next reader any justice, so you will just have to try it out for yourself. The humor and setting are the best I have ever read. I can give this 5 stars without even considering any other rating, highly recommend it for anyone looking for a book to keep you up into the wee hours of them morning.

I would have given a much lower score based on an HPL feel scale; but I must admit the product is solid even if it has nothing to do with classic CoC; its a totally different game.
That other type of flavor game was mainly to appeal to people that:
1) Felt uneasy to play in the 20s
2) Wanted more fire power or modern organized resources
3) Were fan of X-Files even if DG came a bit before the TV series, the popularity grew much after that

So its a good game to play Mulder and Scully or even men in black kinda investigators with those sunglasses and Steyr rifles
Its definitally Modern horror type and not for the classic HPL type of game fans

This amazing game (and just plain interesting read!) is currently back in print. You can pick up the new edition, converted to D20, by heading to the publisher's web site. Pagan Publishing and TC Corp have done a great service to its fans by releasing this reprint!

I don't have a long, thoughtful review to write. Just wanted to say this is the BEST RPG idea/supplement I've ever seen. Intelligent, thoughtful, scary, fun...get it get it get it!

This is the best RPG suppliment I have ever read, bar none. It's a great READ, even if you are not a gamer. Interesting background, lots of plot hooks as well. The group that did this book are great writers and are loving what they do and it shows. If you are into Horror, X-Files, Call of Cthulhu, ect...buy it to read, if not play.
The book is curently out of print, but I understand that it will be reprinted in 2006 as a hardcover with d20 rules. Anyone wanting to write or publish an RPG should read this book and use it as an example. A MUST.

DELTA GREEN is the modern adaptation of Call of Cthulhu. Drawing on the same body of UFO lore and paranormal activity as the X-Files, DELTA GREEN has tapped into something very deep. And of course, once you have a successful RPG, you might as well start the fiction flowing, right?

Dark Theaters has some fairly lenghty short stories, designed to flesh out the world of DELTA GREEN. Some clues and hints are elaborated on; what exactly happened during the fabled raid on Innsmouth in 1928? What was the final mission of Gen. Fairfield? We find out more about the summoning by the Karotechia that was a dress rehearsal for the end of the world, but the entirety of the episode remains tantalizingly removed.

Dark Theaters, like the rest of DELTA GREEN fiction, is about what it means to be human. Or not human. The monstrosities which are called up and cannot easily be put away serve to highlight our humanity. But in the end, humanity is just short-hand for a fundamental incomprehension of the universe. We are carrying on a rear-guard action against reality, buying our fellow-man time for ... what? To say that humanity loses in the end is to pretend that there are other players, rules agreed upon, some validity to having tried and lost. Life is a game of solitaire, and we're not playing with a full deck. All is meaninglessness, a blowing of the wind.

And yet humanity means staying in the game. Like Lucifer, the real patron saint of lost causes, we know that we will lose and darnit, we are going to keep playing the hand we were dealt. It gives meaning to life, death, and the passing of the seasons, the sacrifices we have made and those we have sacrificed, to play by the rules, even if there aren't any. So let us cheer for the hero and jeer for the villain, and not go gently into that dark night.

This is the third book in a series which you will either love or hate. It is also one of those multi-book series which must if at all possible be read in the right order, which is

1) The Game of Kings
2) Queen's Play
3) The Disorderly Knights
4) Pawn in Frankincense
5) The Ringed Castle
6) Checkmate

The disordely knoights of the title are the knights of St John of Malta. This book also features a battle of wits and intrigue betweem the central character, Francis Crawford of Lymond, and his great enemy Gabriel.

There are two reasons why this series, and indeed the author's similar "Niccolo" series, should be read in chronological order. The first is that the plots are incredibly complicated and if you read them out of sequence you have no chance of understanding what is going on. The second is that many of the characters meet their deaths in ways which are exceptionally unpleasant both for themselves and for the characters who survive them. If you read one of the later books first, advance knowledge of how characters are going to die, and the effect it will have on surviving characters can have an impact on the pleasure you would otherwise have had in reading about them for the first time.

Like the books, the central character, Francis Crawford of Lymond, is brilliant, violent, and extremely complicated. Unlike the books he is very flawed. Lymond is a mercenary with particular interests in Scotland and France, and gets involved in nefarious deeds all over the world as 16th century Europeans knew it. Dunnett brings the splendour, cultural ferment, and violent cruelty of the Renaissance world splendidly to life.

If you are at all squeamish, or do not like having to make your brain work overtime to follow a book, leave this series alone. Lymond's story is neither "chewing gum for the brain" nor a comfortable read. And even if you prefer flawed heroes to knights in shining armour, Lymond may infuriate you from time to time. But if you can put up with these features, these books will richly reward the effort you make in reading them.

There is no middle ground: you will either hate the Lymond series or recognise these books as one of the greatest works of historical fiction ever written. Or very possibly both !

If you are considering this third in the Lymond series, it is fairly similar to the first two. I came to the series having very much enjoyed Dunnett's House of Niccolo series. Having read the first three Lymond books, I do not think they are as good. Mostly, we are constantly being told how brilliant, deep, and charming the protagonist is. Niccolo is supposed to be very talented as well, but Dunnett demonstrates that through the plot, rather than force it down our throats as she does here. It makes it much harder to like or admire Lymond as a character.

There are some other irritating quirks in the writing. In the first of the series, for example, we hear way too many times about the Crawfords' "cornflower" eyes. I wanted to put needles in them by the end. In this book, characters are always saying things "grimly."

Unfortunately, the story-telling is pretty good, so I have to mutter under my breath as I read. Without spoiling the plot, by this point you know to look for the villain, who is pretty obvious. On the other hand, I thought there were more clever bits to the summing up than in the first two books, some of which I had certainly missed. But if you have fantasies about horrible deaths for the hordes of competent, sensible women, the high-strung protege du jour, etc., I sympathize.

The Lymond Chronicles (I've read the first three, have not read any other Dorothy Dunnett - yet) are not for everyone. I have both volumes of the Dorothy Dunnett Companion by Elspeth Morrison, and refer to them often to look up the many allusions to historical events and figures, to music and literature, many of which are unfamiliar to any but the most learned reader. That said, they are incredibly rich and never bog down. As with any operatic work (and these stories are!), one must suspend disbelief (no human being, especially one as young as Francis Crawford, could be so accomplished in so many areas). Reading these books is a roller-coaster ride through great swashbuckling, dark intrigue, hilarity and sometimes tenderness. I am amazed that Dunnett never leaves something dangling, no matter how unimportant it seemed when first mentioned -- except, of course, that The Disorderly Knights ends with two important characters tied to the tracks. I have to go out and buy the next book in the series this afternoon.

I envy you if you are just about to read this book because there are 6 in this series and I have read them all! By this book I felt that I knew Francis Crawford (the hero) intimately. I worship him for being the kind of person we all secretly want to be: incredibly smart, strong mentally and physically, kind (although not apparently so), poetic, musical...basically your Renaissance ideal, yet with enough flaws in him to make him endearingly human. In this third book of the series he meets someone who is seemingly his equal, which brings out his character even more. I can't categorize this book as an "adventure" or "historical" novel because it is all that and much more. Read it carefully (although the urge to flip the pages to find out what's next is strong, it's a real page-turner) and you will be as hooked on Dorothy Dunnett as I am.

Francis Crawford of Lymond is sent by the French King to the Island of Malta where the Knights Hospitallers are threatened by an invasion from the Turks. While there Francis is caught up in the politics of the Knights, in particular one Graham Malett who the reader will discover is not at all what he and his convent raised sister are what they appear to be on the surface. As Dunnett slowly peels back the layers of her story, the reader is taken from Malta to embattled Tripoli and then back again to Scotland as Francis intrigues to discover Graham's hidden agendas. To say much more would give away the whole plot, but be prepared for some memorable moments that will stick with you for long after the book is finished. The scene with the sheep (LOL), the nail biting suspense in Tripoli as they try to defuse the flame before Tripoli is blown to bits and of course the final climax during the sword fight between Lymond and his greatest enemy.

Throughout, Francis Crawford is a fascinating hero, and is as suave, debonair, flawed and fascinating as only a 16th Century version of James Bond could be. This is a complicated tale, and one that a reader has to pay close attention to, if you let your mind wander you may have to back track occasionally as I did. Dunnett is also very subtle (sometimes too much so!) and you do have to wait until the very end when all is revealed during a heart stopping sword fight in an Edinburgh cathedral, and a big surprise for Francis that will have you scrambling for the next book in the series, Pawn in Frankincense: Fourth in the Legendary Lymond Chronicles. Five stars.

deserves the big screen treatment. Far more interesting than the X-Men, this is the story about a group of people who become superheroes through no fault of their own (its the result of machinations from somebody, but you'll have to read the series to find out), and how they deal with being "different". Negative Man, Robotman and Elastigirl are three of the most tragic figures ever to grace the comic page and their stories are far more pathetic than anything in X-Men(not that I don't like X-Men). Read the series. You won't be disappointed.

Doom Patrol, as represented in the first volume of their Archives Edition, was an interesting attempt in the 1960s at DC to expand the notion of what makes a super-hero, along with Deadman, Challengers of the Unknown, Eclipso, and Metamorpho (most of these heroes created by Bob Haney, the author behind the Doom Patrol). Their resemblance to the X-Men is obvious although DC was never able to create an environment where the oddball heroes fit in as well with Superman, Batman, et al, whereas the X-Men never seemed out of place in the Marvel universe. But Doom Patrol's biggest weakness was its lack of stand-out villains. The X-Men had Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants while the Doom Patrol struggled along with General Immortus and the Brotherhood of Evil. The Doom Patrol stories are still quite charming, though, and show great promise for what could have been. It was an adventurous experiment at DC to create a team of outcast heroes that is worth checking out.

Found this to be one of the best archives that DC has to offer. And from one of the least popular series they had. The art and stories are superb. And still stand today. I had reservations about getting this. But when DC announced that there was going to be a new Doom Patrol series coming I decided it was time to get to know these characters all over again. And guess what. Not a single disappointment.
Pick this up if you get the chance. You will not be disappointed. So glad I did. Already ordered Vol.2. So enjoy.

They were four damaged people: Rita Farr, a beautiful actress who, while shooting on location, was exposed to a gas that gave her the power to vary her height; Larry Trainor, a daring test-pilot who flew through a belt of radiation, and come through with the ability to release an embodiment of negative energy, but only for a minute at a time; Cliff Steele, a race-car driver, until the crash that destroyed everything but his brain, which was transferred into a robot body, and; Niles Caulder, the brilliant genius who brought these people together as a force for good. They are Elasti-Girl, Negative Man, Robotman, and the Chief: the Doom Patrol.

Contrary to popular belief, DC Comics figured out pretty quickly that rival Marvel Comics formula of character-development was something that they needed to infuse into their own line. The problem was that they were very hesitant to do this with their big gun characters: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, iconic characters that never had any of the problems Spider-man did. However, DC had no problem creating new characters in the Marvel style: fantastic characters with a down-to-earth core.

Perhaps the best example of this approach is the Doom Patrol. This was a team of strong individuals who found themselves possessed of powers that they didn't want. Indeed, for these characters, there was very little hope of ever being normal again. So, they did the next best thing: they fought people who were in worse shape than them, hell-bent on spreading evil.

Arnold Drake's writing made the most of the bizarre premise. The villains were sinister, vile, and above all, quirky. Of course, while General Immortus, the centuries-old genius, was perhaps the team's most persistent enemy, by far their best loved was the Brotherhood of Evil. Led by the Brain, a disembodied brain, and Monsieur Mallah, a surgically enhanced gorilla, the team was the Doom Patrol's counter-part; misfits that sought revenge on the world.

Amazingly, Drake's scripts never stretch credibility to the breaking-point. He stayed within the rules he set for himself, and never forgot that his heroes were suffering, and not always in silence. They pined for normality, they wished for acceptance, they bickered amongst themselves. At the same time, he never let the action get bogged down in the team's personal traumas. Moreover, Drake tailored the stories to spotlight the unique abilities of his characters, while examining the strengths and weaknesses of their individual personalities.

Bruno Premiani's name is not one of those artists who immediately named when discussing comic book greats. He probably should be. As his artwork proves here, Premiani had a strong sense of realism. He made the most of his talented line work, grounding his art with a realistic sensibility that further underscored the bizarre tone of the series. One only need to look at the gorilla Mallah, and the extraordinary detail he paid to the character's design. Truly, Premiani was a craftsman, and deserves much more recognition.

It's not hard to see why, although never a first-string book, "The Doom Patrol" is still remembered fondly today. It was a unique mix of absurd super-heroics and sharp character-drama. While DC recently made some questionable continuity decisions about these characters, they've wisely pulled away from them. So enjoy these wonderfully weird stories.

A group of disgruntled social outcasts with super powers comes under the guidance of a wheel-chair bound genius and is frequently called on to save a general populace they increasingly grow to despise.

You got it...the X-Men, right? Nope. The Doom Patrol.

The comparisons are immediate and striking (The Chief/Professor X, The Brotherhood of Evil/The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants), and given that Doom Patrol actually predated the X-Men by several months, one has to wonder if Stan the Man and the merry men at Marvel didn't pass out a few copies of Doom Patrol at editorial meetings.

But to the stories themselves: the characters are great. The heroes find that their powers have literally ruined their ability to lead normal lives. They are resentful. They find code names stupid and embarrassing and call each other by their first names. Even in attempting to forge relationships with each other, they frequently fail due to shattered self-confidence over their own perceptions of themselves as nothing more than freaks. Remember kids, this wasn't written in the 80's or 90's. This was written in 1963!

Arnold Drake's scripts are hokey by today's standards, with what can be called B-movie dialogue and plots. However, once you accept them on that level (don't look for the gritty realism of the 80's or 90's), they are great fun. Bruno Premiani's artwork is simply excellent, at places it reminds me of Brian Bolland. I agree that it is simply unfathomable that Premiani is not held in more esteem.

While X-Men became a mass market phenomenon, Doom Patrol has had what can be charitably called a star-crossed publishing history. No incarnation of it has ever lasted, although Grant Morrison gave it a great run in the early 90's which I recommend to anyone. Somehow, though, this is sadly appropriate for Arnold Drake's original vision of the quintessential unhappy super heroes. They just never got popular enough to sell out.

The next time you see Hugh Jackman or Patrick Stewart onscreen, or walk past the endless rows of X-Men compilations in a comic book store, do yourself a favor and find the DC section and introduce yourself to these characters. Take the Doom Patrol challenge: go for the original.

Superb. Simply. Great literature. The character of John, the main character's friend was the best and most gratifying of all. Please obtain and let your eyes go to work. To think the author died short of fifty. Man, we get burned sometimes.

I am thilled to see this book being available in hardcover and paperback as well. I read this book about ten years ago and I read it regularly every couple of years. The story is very compelling and the scene of the protagonist walking home through a run-down community is a classic of American literature.

What this book and O'Connor's other novel, The Last Hurrah, apart is the writing. In an era where writers seem to challenge one another to be more like Faukner and less comprehensible to the average man, O'Connor wrote very well and his language is beautiful. From this fine prose arises really deep characters which are flawed and so easily identifiable to us all.

I found this to be a wonderful novel and a great pleasure to read. I have been trying to find this for years and could not in any bookstore. While this could not translate to the movies as easily as Last Hurrah, I found this to be so much more interesting. A truly Catholic novel, it is a joy to find something that takes spiritual issues seriously and yet is hardly preachy. And if you are Irish, the dialogues of the "friends" of the family will make you laugh outloud while reading. This brought back the charms and frustrations of my childhood and my own family of Irish aunts and uncles. Long but worth the effort. A great find.

This simple but beautiful bittersweet story of life among the Irish-American citizens of an unnamed eastern city is a joyful and beguiling tale. O'Connor's characterizations and dialogues are engaging and from my personal experience utterly authentic. I feel as though I have met all the main chacters and could give them names among family and acquaintances. The set piece of Father Kennedy' battle with alcoholism is tastefully done.

As I was reading THE EDGE OF SADNESS, I couldn't help but think that in 1961, when this Pulitzer Prize winning novel was published, it must have been rather controversial. It dealt with the humanity of priests, noting flaws but in a respectful manner. While some writers such as Georges Bernanos dealt with such issues in his DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST, American audiences were still used to the Hollywood Big Screen concoctions of Spencer Tracy--Father Flanagan/Bing Crosby--Father O'Malley models of priesthood. While the priest in THE EDGE OF SADNESS may be worthy of the warmth and love given to his movie counterparts, he's hardly perfect.

The novel tells the story of an alcoholic priest named Hugh Kennedy beginning again in ministry in an older, run down parish. Readers get a sense he's not the priest he once was, and throughout the novel we learn of his early ministry, the ramifications of the death of his father, the struggle with alcohol, and the loneliness that is a real part of his life. The book is written in the first person, and we hear the story of his life as he tells of his rekindling of a friendship with the Carmody family: Charlie, the patriarch, his son John the priest, Dan, the ne'er do well, Helen, the outspoken sister married to a doctor and Mary, the daughter who remains at home to care for the aging but still independent and at times ruthless Charlie. We also meet a host of minor characters: Helen's husband Frank, their son and daughter-in-law Ted and Anne, Charlie's longtime friends P.J. and Bucky, Roy, the maintenance man who works at Fr. Kennedy's church, and Fr. Stanley Danowski, the endearing yet naïve and at time nerdy young curate at Fr. Kennedy's parish. As the events of the novel unfold, we see changes in Fr. Kennedy as he discovers his love for God and his vocation.

This is an older style novel in many ways. O'Connor is not short on words and he gives a number of details, yet the novel flows and is a fast read for a volume of nearly 650 pages. The issues of struggles in priesthood, vitality of parishes, older priest verses younger priest, unstated yet real competition between clergy people, and a hunger for God are all present in this book. In some ways if some historical details were changed in the book, it could be about modern day Catholic life. Perhaps this is the power of this book and why it can seem timeless. While it tells a story from an earlier day, it's not an invitation for nostalgia, at least for Catholic readers. Instead it will remind readers of what truly matters in life: the importance of faith, and the importance of having people who love us and people we love in return. While it may seem dated in some ways, readers will agree that the editors at Loyola Press were correct in reissuing this book as a classic.

The first 14 pages are very engaging. I look forward to reading the rest of the book.

"Even the Sparrow" is exactly the kind of story I loved as a girl, historical fiction with a close focus on family. Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Understood Betsy, and other classics will "flock" to this well-written, emotionally engaging story. I'd certainly recommend it! The author's eye for detail, ear for language, and heartfelt connection with her characters makes it a winner.

Even the Sparrow instantly provokes emotion and never relents. Even reader's without a fondness for stories of the Great Depression (a group to which I'm a member)-forced to compassion, I yearn to follow the plight of Meg & Temple and hope for a happy ending.

Very well written, this excerpt provides wonderful visualization. I'm up for the next chapter!

Love the easy flow of this excerpt. Losing my mother at an early age, I empathize with Meg's loss. I am intrigued by the experience and emotions associated with living without her father. I want to read more!!!

The setting and dialogue caught my interest from the start. I could feel the heat and dust, the sticky lemonade, and the emotion that the main character felt as she learned of the changes that were happening in her life. The girls were likeable and the plot line interesting. I would like to keep reading! Very well done!!

Perhaps I'm out of touch (and it would be perfectly OK with me if that were so), but when my 13-year-old brought this home, checked out from the "Young Adult" section at the library, I'm glad I intercepted it. My daughter has high reading standards, both morally and critically, and was careful to flip through the book before checking it out, to see if she would like it. She only looked through the first half of the book, which, apart from several usages of "f**k," contained nothing too alarming. But then things "heat up."

Nuanced plot of birthmark drama and overbearing father aside, the parallel story depicts with increasing detail how an underage girl learns to have illicit sex. She begins with mutual masturbation at a teenage orgy, continues with her first intercourse with another teen boy, on to her initiating intercourse both with that boy and yet another boy, providing her (presumably pre-teen and teen) readers with details of how "full" she feels during intercourse, before ending with her description of tasting her own vaginal secretions of her boyfriend's lips after he performs cunnilingus.

I'll be surprised if Amazon allows even my review of the book to be posted. If I quoted from the book itself, my review would never be posted. And I cannot help but find it ironic that I must be over 13 to review this book, whereas any child under 13 can pick it up and read it without adult oversight.

Now, I consider myself a fairly broadminded father, and no prude. None of the sexual activities described shock me. But the question must be addressed: In what way is this a good book for teens, especially middle-schoolers? Are there limits on written depictions of the sexual practices of minors, beyond which the writing becomes "child pornography"?

I've asked these same questions of our local library. They're now looking into their processes, seeing how the library determines just what constitutes "adult fiction," versus "young adult fiction."

I was sucked into Nina Goldman's life the minute I started to read this little gem of a book from Renée Rosen. Nina was born with a strawberry birthmark that covers one of her eyes, and early on she learned that it brings both good and bad attention to her. I agonized along with Nina as she struggled to fit in socially through middle school and high school, sure that her eye was the only thing keeping her from being popular. Nina's story brought back memories from the mixed up social scene of my own school years, where everyone was trying to find who they were, and most of us were insecure about something.

Dominating Nina's life outside of school is her father, Artie, whose larger-than-life character pulls in everyone around him as they try to live up to the high expectations he creates for himself and his family. There's not much room for other memorable players in this story, but Rosen weaves other characters into the narrative seemlessly, and she makes it easy to get the dynamics between Nina and her friends, and Nina and the rest of her family.

Nina's mother is a minor character, but readers will find lots to talk about in the family dynamics at play, the times described in the book (1960s and 70s), and Nina's search to find what's really important to her.

It's hard to believe this was penned by a first-time author, but Rosen brings very complicated issues together seamlessly in a book that's hard to put down once you start it. Something to note: the frank handling of drug use and teenage experimentation with sex probably makes Every Crooked Pot most appropriate for high school readers and their moms.

In the interest of disclosure, I should say that Renee is a friend of mine. But the only thing better than having novelist friends is having novelist friends who write so beautifully that you can recommend their work with a clear conscience.

It's a coming-of-age tale, and like most of its genre, listing the specific circumstances takes away from the larger story. So let me just say that this is a lovely book, full-to-overflowing with heart, and peopled with characters as real as any I've read. If you like intimate, personal fiction that will leave you saddened and uplifted at once, then ignore the iffy cover and just buy this baby.

Though it only took me two days to read Rosen's debut novel, Every
Crooked Pot, I know that the story will stay with me for years to
come. Nina's struggles and triumphs speak volumes on what it means to
accept and love ourselves and others. This deceptively simple novel
packs a powerful punch--I look forward to Rosen's future novels and
will happily recommend her first to others.

I am stunned. I'd read the first chapter on Ms. Rosen's website, and was intrigued by the main character and her unusual father. Reading the rest of the book swept me into a new world that felt so familiar, I could have sworn I knew these people. I was spellbound by the intricate relationship between the main character and her father, who controls the entire family's feelings and sometimes their actions through his own subtle (and sometimes blatant) ways. I loved the honest way the author explored the effects a facial birthmark has on a teenager. I adored the fluid, natural writing style.

Every Crooked Pot is one of the best books of the year.

Good! A book set in the 1950's (a time I remember well) about a young nurse, about her work in a psychiatric ward, about her conversations with other nurses, and, I am guessing, the possibility of a romance with the appealing Dr. Kerr.

Sounds good to me. I'd buy this book and I would read it.

I love the fifties. There is so much perspective to be gained about today's and tomorrow's challenges and opportunities by seeking insight into the lives led by our parents in that time. The first thirteen pages of Rubies began a journey that I wanted to continue. The restrictions of the period's rules and limitations, the promised security and certainty of those rules, the hints of rising turmoil that would not be recognized for some time to come, all tantalized this reader to go on. I looked forward to getting to know Kate, Rebecca, Sue Ann and June and felt trepidation and anticipation for that which awaited each. I am eager to read more.

I wish more of the story was here. This beginning was very engaging. I want to know what happens to the new young nurses. The setting reminds me of the Chicago hospital where my daughters were born.

There is wonderful insight in this book about the way that medicine was practiced. The writing evokes the old-style relationships between doctors and nurses, between staff and patients. Subtle touches, such as the shared ciagarettes, call up days long past. I'm also impressed by the expectations of these young women, and how different those expectations are from today's young women.

I'd like to read the rest of the story.

This promises to deliver a unique storyline, following the journey of four women in the nursing profession. What sets it apart is that it takes place in the 1950s era...quite a challenge for which the author has embraced. Successfully, I might add. Judging from the scenarios played out in the psych ward, Kate has chosen an extremely difficult field for which I'm sure she will emerge stronger for it. There are phrases like "Freudian theories cast shafts of light" that shine throughout this entry.

I would love to know where this journey takes these women, both in the work force as well as in the social arena. An excellent offering here, Margaret! Great job!

The author did an excellent job of bringing her characters to life in just a few pages -- no small accomplishment. The writing is quite descriptive, but not excessively, so the narrative keeps moving along nicely. And as a nurse working there during that time I can attest to the accuracy of the depictions of both 1950s-era Chicago and its inner-city hospitals.

An impressive effort -- I'm eager to see how the story line plays out.

This is one that is probably going to have to come from a library. It was originally a Chivers production, then Chivers was bought by BBC and now does not show as available on the BBC America audiobook site.

Honestly, if an audiobook has already been produced putting it out on CD or as an audible release seems like an excellent idea. I know lots of women who who enjoy listening to a Heyer novel over the lastest slasher fiction on their way to work. I found the miles passed very quickly while I listened to this 8+ hour reading of one of Heyer's more charming novels, originally published in 1941.

Eve Matheson, the reader, has a pleasant voice with no annoying habits. My only objection is that she sounds a bit middle aged for the majority of the characters. Her interpretations of characters such of Lady Bellington, the heroine's flighty aunt, and Adrian's mother are both letter perfect though. And surprisingly she does well with the ex-pugilist doorman, Wantage, and the slimy Lord Omskirk.

If you get a chance, definitely listen to this one.

This one of the best novels by this superb writer; the characters are both fascinating and delightfully amusing. If you have never read one of these classic romances, prepare to be hooked. Heyer fans are legion and read and reread her works...none of the the so called "romance novels" written today can come near to rivaling her books. After all, she founded the genre.

I really enjoyed this book. The only downside to it is the slightly odd note the heroine strikes-- she is honorable and intelligent, yet does something very silly!

Overall, a fun romp with a heroine who has a sense of honor, and a hero who makes a great mistake in his evaluation of her. Interesting because the setting and situations are very different than other Heyer books. A satisfying ending.

This is one of the best romantic comedies I've ever read, second only to 'Venetia' and 'Arabella' (both also by Heyer). The clash of wills between the proud, haughty Max Ravenscar and the indomitable Deborah Grantham are sure to delight and entertain even the most jaded reader. There are plenty of varied characters, a story that never slows down, an almost palpable chemistry between the main couple and lots of very funny moments. My only complaint about this book was that it was a bit short for my tastes, but then again, I much rather prefer a book like this than one that goes on and on and doesn't know when to stop. If you're tired by the campy trash that gets published today labelled as 'romantic fiction', or if you're simply enjoy a good book, you can't go wrong with 'Faro's Daughter'. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Shakespeare is always in her work and this is no exception. Was extremely disapointed when it ended as would like to have kept reading. Instead suffer from Heyer withdrawal. Thank goodness she has a big back log. Read this book when you need a cheerup.