Non-fiction Books

I selected this book only because it took place in Ohio - and mentioned several areas that I was familliar with. Well, imagine my surprise when it turned out to be a beautiful love story of an elderly couple. To sound cliche - I laughed and I cried while reading this - and I think you will too.

Had to lock myself in the bathroom to finish reading the last few pages just so I could savor, enjoy, and mourn the ending of this book. The whole thing was so, so marvelous...

I told my husband about this book tonight. I read this while working in a bookstore as a senior in high school; I graduated in 1976. Awesome book! I agree with the existing comments above; I fell in love with the characters and especially Howard Amberson, who just tried to get through life with his integrity intact, and for the most part suceeded. A truly timeless, unforgettable work.

From a person who always has at least three books going at one time, (book on tape in my car, one in my hand bag, and one on my night stand) I have my all-time top ten favorite books. I first got this book from the Library in the 80's and tried desperatly to find it to buy and I couldn't. So I am embarrassed to say it is the only book I have ever purposely kept and paid for from a Library. It is also one of the few books I have reread many times. It is one of the most REAL books I have ever read. It made me laugh, it made me cry. It gave me a whole different perspective on relationships and all the stages one goes through in a realtionship that lasts a lifetime. ANY one who loves to
read should read this book. It will be one you will never forget.

I've read this book three or four times. I read it again this past year and include it in my list of favorite all time books.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

***** Author and Illustrator Fox Carlton Hughes has done a masterful job with this delightful children's book. The eye-catching bold colors on the cover, and throughout every page in the book, are quite simply a visual treat and the lessons taught within the story are timeless. Our hero, Homer, is a little Rhino who has a big tusk - very big! In fact, it was outstandingly big! Because of that, Homer was teased by his playmates and spent a lot of time being sad.

One day, as the story goes on to tell, Homer sees and follows a rainbow to its end (because he loves rainbows), only to find that the rainbow was crying - splattering big, wet, rainbow tears all over Homer! It's colors were brilliant and beautiful, as rainbow colors are supposed to be, so why was the rainbow so sad? Homer went over for a closer look. That's when he saw the hole in the side of the rainbow and watched as those brilliant colors gushed out onto the ground. After thinking a moment or two, Homer knew exactly what to do. He jammed his oversized tusk into the hole with a powerful thud, stopping the leak immediately! The rainbow praised Homer and Homer was suddenly filled with a great self-confidence. He knew, way down inside his heart, that without his huge tusk the rainbow would have lost its colors before the Dew Fairies could have arrived to help him.

In the end, it was the change in Homer's attitude toward himself that gave him some much needed confidence, and self-confidence is all any of us truly needs to be happy.

This is a wonderful story for small children and teaches some amazing lessons. Highly recommended reading. *****

Reviewed by Ruth Wilson of Huntress Reviews.

This book is sooo inspirational and educational!

It is not only appealing to small children but children and adults of all ages!

Anyone can learn, from this book, the belief that it is alright to be different and to love yourself just as you are.

We all have something special inside of us to share with others and to make a difference in the world around us.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

Rainbow Rhino arrived at my door yesterday and it's already well on its way to becoming a household favorite. I expect that this book will become one of those stories that I read over and over again and it never becomes stale.

The story itself is classic. Homer the Rhino is born just a bit different than all his classmates as his tusk is extra long. My daughter also pointed out that all his classmates are human so he's already got issues of being different anyway. Nonetheless, Homer spends a good deal of his time playing alone and feeling like an outsider. Who hasn't been in that situation? Homer's point of view quickly changes though when he meets and helps a rainbow in trouble.

In addition to a great entertaining story that even makes adults smile, Rainbow Rhino has beautiful colorful illustrations that catch the eye. The expressions on the characters faces are absolutely precious. Rainbow Rhino will quickly become a favorite in any household or library.

I have just finished reading this delightful story, and am thrilled that it is available to children and adults alike. Without giving away the plot, the book tells of Homer, a rhino with a problem. As the story unfolds, Homer uses his `problem' to help someone in distress! Through his selfless and kind act, Homer's own problem is solved! What a satisfying ending, and what a good lesson the story illustrates! And, speaking of "illustrates," the reader will be captivated by the book's brilliant artwork! Mr. Hughes' drawings and use of vivid color are dazzling!

Beyond all of this, I was impressed with Mr. Hughes' use of vivid language. Characters in the story wail, sob, shout, gasp and sputter. They gallop, charge, ram, skid, gush, stumble, and spatter. Not only does this book teach a lesson in compassion and kindness, but also it exposes the reader to exciting and descriptive language. This is the kind of book that I value as an elementary school teacher. By sharing this book with students, I can help them understand the value of being kind to others who are `different,' and of helping someone in distress. Also, I can expose them to new and exciting words that they can try out in their own compositions. I certainly appreciate having multi purpose `tools' like The Rainbow Rhino to use in a classroom, and I am looking forward to sharing it with a group of young students soon.

i have read many books by erica but none touched me quite as much as this. i was unable to put it down and read it in one go. i cried and i laughed with the characters. it was a great read. all i wanna know now is wheres my jack!!

Becky Lynn Lee fled Bend, Mississippi the night that her life was changed forever. She was betrayed by all the people that she loved, and she knew that it would never change as long as she stayed in Bend. So she took off for California. With the bright lights and the even brighter stars. There, Becky Lynn met Jack Gallager who changed the course of her life. For she finally found someone who believed in her talent and who she believed actually thought she was someone. She felt that Jack looked beyond her 'white trash' label. When she was betrayed by him, she went to his enemy in a moment of rage, looking for a way to pay him back. Little did she know that she would also love Jack's brother Carlos.

Jack Gallager has been on a mission since he was eight years old and rejected by his father. He will be better than his father and his brother in the world of fashion photography. From the moment he bought his first camera at sixteen, Jack has worked to prove himself worthy of his father's love and a better photographer than his brother. He didn't know that his crusade would cost him the woman he loved or that he would regret it as much as he did.

Red is a book that is intensely emotional with characters that all have immense emotional baggage and are trying to deal with it. If you want a book that you will get lost in, try Red and you won't be dissapointed.

This book is so awesome! Out of all the books I've read in my life, this is far the best! I re-read this book all the time and it is still a suprise. I had it since I was 14, now I'm 16 and I'm still reading and loving it! If you love to read about love, drugs, and sex, I recommend this book!

This is one of those books that catches you from the very first page and never lets go! It's an easy read and such fun!! I fell in love with "Red" more than any of the other Erica Spindler characters. She is a kind and innocent child who you get to see grow into a beautiful woman and you can't help but root for her. I could'nt put the book down because I had to see her prevail over all her enemies. I have read almost all of Erica Spindler's books but this is my absolute favorite by far! You get so involved in her life that you just can't stop reading. I usually prefer mystery and suspense but this is a swell book. It will keep you interested until the end!

I read this soon after finishing "Shocking Pink"... ES has really caught my attention with the offbeat characters in this story. If you haven't had the pleasure, pick up this "RED HOT" book and dive in! Loved it!

Not the easiest book in the six Lymond Chronicles, but The Ringed Castle more than rewards the reader, and anyone who has made it this far in the series will undoubtedly persevere. These books are so awash in swashbuckling one is unaware of how much history one is learning. I can hardly wait to re-read them all to pick up some of what I've missed. Dunnett is a superb writer of entwined fiction and history.

Volume IV of the Lymond Chronicles shows a marked improvement from the somewhat draggy Pawn In Frankincense, if not quite climbing the storytelling heights of the first three episodes.

Ringed Castle spins two riveting tales, Lymond's attempted remaking of Ivan the Terrible's Russia and Philippa's rise into the upper reaches of the English Royal Court. Vivid supporting characters abound: explorer Diccon Chancellor, chess afficiando Tsar Ivan, astrologer John Dee, and Margaret Lennox, Elizabethan femme fatale. The evocation of the Kremlin is gorgeously detailed, as are Lymond & company's adventures in Russia's unforgiving winter and the heartstopping voyage back to England -- Dunnett's uncanny ability to recreate the exotic past with such force you feel yourself there is in full flower. The book's first two thirds are excellent.

But as in the previous volume, Ringed Castle starts to feel like work down the backstretch. Dunnett's authorial sleight of hand in hiding much of Lymond's viewpoint until the final pages begins to frustrate in its familiarity, this ruse particulary trying given the ongoing story regarding his mysterious parentage.

One hopes for less of this in the final volume...

Most reviews of the Lymond series focus on Francis Crawford of Lymond, the enigmatic, often-tortured central character around whom all the other characters revolve. This isn't surprising because he is the central player on the stage. But my favorite character is Philippa, not just because she is genuinely good, but because whenever she enters a scene, it simply begins to sparkle.

Dorothy Dunnett obviously feels a great love for Philpipa because she gives her the best lines and gave her a marvelous sense of humor. She is a wonderful character, both funny and wise. But her greatest attribute is her strong moral character, her desire to do the right thing. In the prior novel, her desire to save Lymond's son caused to her to risk everything--not everyone would become a member of a harem in an effort to save a life. In Ringed Castle, her desire to reconcile Lymond with his family causes her to place herself at great risk.

With regard to Ringed Castle, I didn't find it as consistently compelling as Pawn in Frankincense, but it is still a wonderful book, particularly the haunting and tragic voyage back to England and the last 100 pages at the English court.

I have a tinge of sadness in the realization that I have only one more installment to see how it all ends, to see if Philippa can ultimately tame Lymond.

Luckily, this series is so strong on many levels I can look forward to many productive and enjoyable re-readings.

This is the fifth 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 Ringed Castle has one of the more memorable opening lines in historical fiction: "Not to every young girl is it given to enter the harem of the Sultan of Turkey and return to her homeland a virgin."

After the shattering events of book 4, "Pawn in Frankincense", Phillipa Somerville so returns to England while Francis Crawford of Lymond goes to Russia and takes service with Ivan the Terrible.

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 the books out of sequence, advance knowledge of how characters are going to die, can have a significant impact on the pleasure you would otherwise have had in reading about the earlier events of their lives when you do get around to reading the earlier books.

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.

In this book Phillipa Somerville, who was scarcely more than a girl when she first appeared in the stories, becomes a more important viewpoint character, developing as a heroine and counterweight to Franci Crawford.

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 !

"Not to every young girl is it given to enter the harem of the Sultan of Turkey and return to her homeland a virgin." Now that's what I call an attention getting opening! The Ringed Castle begins book #5 in the series as Philippa returns home to England a very self assured young woman and Francis has hitched his wagon to the mysterious Guzel and heads to Russia to bring Tsar Ivan and his army out of the dark ages with the aid of Francis' highly trained mercenary corps.

As Francis treads the treacherous waters of the Russian court and political intrigues, there is a traitor amongst his troop who has been hired to kill him. At the same time, Philippa is called to court to serve as lady in waiting to Mary Tudor and the delightfully evil Countess Margaret Lennox continues her intrigues against Francis and Philippa. Eventually Francis is ordered by the Tsar to leave Russia, and after a harrowing sail through the dangerous waters of the northern seas Francis comes to London as part of Russia's trade embassy. There he is reunited with his wife, Philippa, who has stumbled across a long hidden mystery regarding Francis' paternity.

As with the first four books in the series, 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. While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I didn't find it as fast paced as the previous four, particularly the time spent in Russia, although necessary to set up the rest of the story. What I very much enjoyed was the maturation of Philippa and she has become the perfect foil for Lymond, she matched word for word in all their verbal battles and was the highlight of the book. I am dying to read the last book in the series, Checkmate: Sixth in the Legendary Lymond Chronicles and anxiously await the answers to just who fathered Francis Crawford of Lymond. Five stars.

We were just talking about this book! My daughter had it back in 90's and even tried taking a bite out of it! She adored this book. (now 15) she has fond memories of it and wants to order it for her baby brother!

David Pelham's captured the essence of little boys in this book. Sweet, creative, and a whole lot of naughtiness! My three kids were giggling, (i was gagging a little!) and we all enjoyed the awesome pop-ups!!! If you are in question as to buy this book...get off the fence and make the purchase...you won't regret it!

All little kids should have this book read to them. There is a surprise on every page. Just make sure that if your little one makes you a sandwich you should check it for live creatures before eating.

I just finished reading this one for the bizillionth time to my fourth son, who is six. All four of my boys have loved this book, especially between ages 5-9. The illustrations are super real, and the popups are cleverly engineered in descending layers of a sandwich. My boys love to squeal at each disgusting tiny vermin that has been added to the sandwich Sam is making for his annoying sis. We have Sam's Snack, and Sam's Cake, also, but this is our favorite.

Sam's Sandwich is a delightful book about a boy who creates a sandwich for his sister(unknowingly to her) using unusual ingredients such as ants and other bugs. The book is written in rhyme with lift-up flaps revealing the unusual ingredients at the end to each stanza of the rhyme. Children love to read the book, again and again, screaming..."Ohhh...and aahh and ick". There is no better review by a child than "READ IT AGAIN!" This is a wonderful book to help children with rhyme and a fun, fun book for the whole family.

Silver Days takes place in America. It's about a Jewish family who leaves Germany to get away from the Nazis. It focases mainly on Lisa Platt, a 13 year old girl wanting to live a normal life and fit in and be popular, but is overshadowed by the family's poverty. She has a dream to become a famous dancer.
It's a good book. It's interesting, but it kind of leaves you hanging at the end. I think she should have went on a little more and explained things a little better. I would recommend it. If you liked Anne Frank, then you would like this. I also think that girls would probably enjoy it more since its mainly about a girl's life.

At first I picked Silver Days as an accelerated reader book for school. After i got done i was amazed! This was by far the best book I have ever read. It shows alot of feelings and emotions, it also shows you how hard the Jewish people had it back then. I think people can learn alot from this book. It was interesting and educational. I think this book desrves 5 stars

I think Silver Days by Sonia Levitin was a great book. It deserves five stars. I think it really shows how hard it was for Jewish people to get a decent living when they fled from Nazi Germany. This great novel is a sequel to Journey to America. This story starts out where Journey to America left off. Lisa Platt and her family were awaiting tickets for a boat to America from their father, who already was in America. They had to wait one year in Switzerland for the tickets. They reached America just as World War II was beginning in Europe. When they saw their apartment, all they had for furniture were orange crates and beds. During this period, they endure racial discrimination. They feel that in order to get away from this is to move to California. When they get a house there, their treatment is about the same, but they believe it is much better than New York. At school, Lisa gets back to dancing after five years, but her teacher, who people call "The Nazi", does not allow her to take the classes until she practices. After her teacher accepts her into her class, she becomes one of the best dancers in the school. Along the way, she and her older sister Ruth fall in love. When they receive a letter from their old maid, they find out that what they have been missing is faith. In the end they go back to their roots, beliefs, rituals and everything they did in Germany, even though they wanted to be as American as possible.

Silver Days, by Sonia Levitin is a story about a family that comes from Germany to the United States. Their Family moves to the United States because there is a war going on in Germany and they run from the Nazis. Everyone tries to adjust to the United States. The family tries to adjust to the United Sates. The family suffers with little money. However when the family starts helping everything gets better.

The novel is set in the United States. The theme of the novel would be if you stick together you could go though anything. The characters Ruth and Lisa adjust the most in good in bad ways. Lisa starts doing the things she likes and what she did in Germany. Everyone was very proud of her. Ruth fits in great and everyone likes her. She has a problem and doesn't know how to solve it. My favorite part in the book is when everyone starts getting better. The ending of the book was satisfying...

The author's style was very good. It was like you couldn't put the book down. I think that the author gives to many details. The vocabulary was very easy I either knew or I had already learned it in school. The part of the book I really dislike is when something really bad happens everyone gets under a lot of stress. I would recommend this book from ages 9-15 to read this book. People who like to read books about when we had wars and would like to learn what it would be like being in the middle of the war and people being prejudice would like to read this book. ...[Five stars.]
HLW

The story I have chosen to write a review on is called Siler Days
by Sonia Levitin. It is a historical fiction book about a Jewish girl's life during the Holacost. Lisa Platt has moved to New York
from Germany to be safe from Adolf Hitler. Lisa lives with her mother and father and her two sisters Ruth and Annie. Lisa's family has very little money for food and a nice place to place to live. They struggle everyday to keep up with their very little money and their lives. The Platt's and Lisa never give up though. They have courage, hope and bravery. They're living through hard times but they hope to manage. This was a wonderful book and I hope others will read it. Sonia Levitin is a great writer so I suggest you read the other books she's written. If you decide to read Silver Days, have fun!

This is the best pop up book we've seen, even including the others in the Snappy series. Nearly every page has a pop up that you can manuver by opening and closing the pages (carefully).

My 18 month old loves this book so much that we are on our second copy...he loves to touch the pop-ups and they hold up really well as long as a "grown-up" is there to supervise! The rhymes are simple and there is not so much text per page that a little one will become antsy waiting to turn the page. We will be investing in more of this series.

This book quickly became a favorite for my baby daughter. She's now 4 mos. old and the Snappy books have been favorites for nearly two months. She loves the bright colors and action.

I am so pleased to find that there are many more of these books available, as our local store only has two and we got one other as a gift. We will definitely be purchasing more of these books!

This is a great pop-up. The pictures are fantastic and my 3 yr old loves how the pop-ups move.

I was really impressed with this line of pop up books!!! This book has bright cutely drawn bugs, and the pop-ups require no tabs to pull -- just open the page and the critters pop up! And I do have to say, the durability is about the best I've seen around! These books aren't totally indistructable, but the are very sturdy. This was the first pop-up book we bought for our son (16 mos old). We had thought, "give our son, a pop up book? you've got to be kidding". You're talking the the parent of a boy whose motto is, "If it's not coming, I just must not be pulling hard enough!" He just doesn't understand some things aren't meant to be pulled apart. But these books have survived very well. I still supervise him with them, the ones that did get ripped...just needed a little tape, and the pop-up still works.

you positively must.

Rarely have I ever come across anything as uplifting and inspiring as this book. If you have a dream, whether it be to own your own business, or to help starving children around the world, or simply to have a healthy happy life, the keys to finding and unlocking those things within yourself are contained in this book.

I'm still in the middle of this book. Some of it is a little silly, and I gleam over those parts in a rush. They are relatively few and far in between, and the wealth of useful knowledge and insight throughout the rest of the book is worth it. I am beginning to apply many of the principles for the first time... its not a magic formula, but it has initiated noticeable progress where before I was stagnating for some time. Its small and easy to carry around to read when you only have one or two minutes available.

The only strange thing about this edition is that authorship is credited to Napoleon Hill, but much of the book speaks of Hill in third person, as if the revising author (who I think is W. Clement Stone) takes liberty to speak on behalf of the original author.

The first batch of significant books that had the greatest influence on me in terms of attaining personal achievement includes mostly Napoleon Hill's books:

- The Law of Success;
- Think & Grow Rich;
- The Keys to Success;
- Success through a Positive Mental Attitude;
- Succeed & Grow Rich through Persuasion;

The others were from Clement Stone, Dale Carnegie, & Earl Nightingale.

That was the early 70's when I had just started work as a young engineer.

The author, Napoleon Hill, had impressed me most by his relentless dedication in spending some two to three decades of his life in pursuing & researching the success secrets of the rich & famous...with a little help from Andrew Carnegie, of course.

As matter of fact, many of the famous people he interviewed were also favourite role models of mine e.g. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, just to name a few

Till this day, I have never forgotten what he said:

"The most powerful instrument we have in our hands is the power of our mind."

I have never ceased to be fascinated by the simplicity & the potency of his ABCs of personal achievement: CONCEIVE, BELIEVE & ACHIEVE!

It is certainly enlightening to note that even Stephen Covey had drew inspiration from Napoleon Hill's work even though he never made that credit. He only admitted that the
7 Habits had its origins from "200 years of success literature in the United States." That remark itself is self explanatory.

Anthony Robbin's Mastery program as embodied in his books as well as his audio/video resources is no exception, even though he has been influenced in larger extent by NLP.

If you look at & compare the 17 principles of personal achievement in 'The Law of Success' &/or the 13 Steps to Riches in 'Think & Grow Rich', one can obviously see the uncanny resemblance of the 7 Habits & the Mastery principles...in one way or another.

At this juncture, let me outline the principal theme of each book:

The Law of Success: the original course on the fundamentals of success - all the seventeen essential principles of personal achievement;
Think & Grow Rich: The seventeen essential principles are reframed & condensed in terms of thirteen concrete steps to wealth creation (in actuality, this is a condensation of the Law of Success);
The Keys to Success: a further elaboration of the seventeen essential principles with concrete suggestions, exercises & advice;
Success Through Positive Mental Attitude: joint authorship with Clement Stone, with a further emphasis on developing a positive mental attitude;
Succeed & Grow Rich Through Persuasion: joint authorship with Clement Stone, with a further emphasis on developing master salesmanship & networking;
[It is pertinent to note that Clement Stone actually built his insurance business empire with these principles.]

My most productive, personal learning experience from Napoleon Hill's work is the understanding - & application - of his success principle #1: Develop Definiteness of Purpose.

[Very surprisingly, J Y Pillay, former Chairman of Singapore Airlines, - who had been credited for building the airline to what it is today, A GREAT WAY TO FLY! - also credited his work axiom to this same success principle, but he attributed it to an ancient Hindu scripture known as Bhagavad Gita.]

I am certainly gratified to note that Napoleon Hill's work had casted so much influence on - & empowered - so many people in the world, including myself.

I have to admit that I am a confirmed fan of Napolean Hill. I love Think & Grow Rich, have bought many copies and recently added the new and revised hardback to my library.

Succeed and Grow Rich Through Persuasion was one of those books that was collecting dust on my library shelf. I had browsed t his book a couple of times, but never read it completely. In fact, I have been doing that with a lot of my books recently.

The principles in Succeed and Grow Rich are like the principles in Think & Grow Rich. They are timeless. And they work. If you want to master persuasion, read this book.

In this book by Hill, you have the principles to become a top persuader. COnsidering what Hill accomplished in selling his philosophy with no compensation from Mr. Carnegie, don't you think Hill has something to offer in salesmanship?

This book will show you the person you have to be and offers exercises and tips to reach your goals. Another classic by Hill and must reading for all salespeople.

Dayne Kuttner has made a challenge to God that the deity cannot refuse. To give the damned souls of Hell another chance to repent. The ineffable deity has responded to Dayne's challenge in an unexpected way releasing several thousand Hellspawn into the State of North Carolina. And while heaven may be offering them a chance to repent, Hell has other plans. They are to tempt more souls into hell, starting with the soul of Dayne. Holly Lisle delivers a book that is full of fun and hilarity, and some food for thought as well as she takes a look at the institutions of heaven and hell and the world of humanity in between.

As with most of Holly Lisle's writing, there's a good dollop of humor in this story, keeping it from becoming darkly serious and overdramatic. This allows the story to be thoughtful without becoming overly preachy. Our heroine Dayne is delightfully tough and intelligent, a strong adversary for the fallen angel Agonostis. And while most of the devils and demons remain more comical than outright darkly evil, and some even downright likable, the characterization feels appropriate to the tone of the story.

Despite the humor, there are moments of true poignancy and epiphany that keep this story from being merely fluff. It's the reason I keep re-reading this book even though it's beginning to fall apart on me and I'll need a new copy soon. While the look at religion is not necessarily the traditional one (Holly Lisle plays fast and loose with some of the conventions) there are still profound messages that Ms. Lisle conveys about the essence of faith, the nature of good and evil, how Heaven can exist if there is a hell, and what does it truly mean to be a human being.

One of my few complaints with this book is that while it offers a satisfying conclusion to the protagonist's story, it leaves an open ended teaser ending for the next story in this trilogy-and these books are a bit difficult to get a hold of. Readers who enjoy humor, fantasy and romance and don't mind a rather tongue in cheek look at the denizens of Heaven and Hell are encouraged to give this book a try. If you enjoy this one, the second book in the trilogy is THE DEVIL AND DAN COOLEY, and the third is HELL ON HIGH. And you may also want to check out GOOD OMENS by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

Happy Reading! Shanshad ^_^

I recently read the Hell books by Holly Lisle (or at least the first three). The books are concerned with the presence of the hellraised on Earth and the interplay between Heaven and Hell.

In SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL a young woman who is convinced that her ex is in hell offers up a prayer to give everyone in Hell a second chance. The request is so pure that it must be answered. Since everyone in Hell already has a chance for redemption, Heaven sends residents from hell to North Carolina. These hellraised equal one percent of the population of the state. The woman is made a target for temptation while the rest of the state has to get used to its new residents.

Overall a pretty good story and an interesting handling of Heven and Hell and they way they interact with the mortal world.

Convinced her ex-husband is burning in hell, Dane asks God why he could allow such a thing and begs him to give the souls of the damned a second chance. God answers, and frees a number of souls into the world. They may do as they will, provided they do not harm anyone or coerce them into harming anyone. That, and they have to stay in North Carolina.

If you go to Holly's website, you'll find that she was under a lot of duress while writing this. The anger and angst she went through shows here and makes for a wonderful examination of religion in general. It starts off very bitter, but becomes something greater. In the end, she does not hate God, but it seems she comes to terms with him.

Sympathy for the Devil is funny, introspective, and even romantic. This is a hard book to find, but if you can get it I strongly recommend it.

When I read this book, it was quite apparent that Holly Lisle's writing style and insight into our present day society was unique and superb. I laughed at her views of the computer in not only our world, but in Hell (which is to say a little of Hell will be ever present though out the rest of our lives.) This book also shows in the difficulties of and choices we must make on the basis of our feelings. I think that Holly Lisle is one of today's greatest writers, and all of her books have brought the delight of fantasy into my small literary collection. Any person, who is a fan of fantasy and humor, would do well to read this novel, or any of her other fantastic books.

Just pick up the book and read the first page. If you're not laughing out loud enough to embarrass yourself, then this is not the book for you.

Doubting and disgusted, heroine Dayne challenges God to let the demons in Hell have a chance. Just like physics, for every action Hell's got an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, Satan sets demons loose in North Carolina to claim as many souls as they can including Dayne's.

The story examines good and evil, heaven and hell, but with a light brush. "Sympathy" is both amusing and thought-provoking. IMHO, the best of Holly Lisle's work so far.

It's hard to believe that Louise Rich's "We Took to the Woods" is decades old.

Absolutely charming and totally original, Rich is the sort of author you wish you could meet in person. Her observations are fascinating, her writing is wonderfully engaging, and her point of view goes far beyond the usual country folksiness found in most books of this type. Most importantly, Rich doesn't preach. The book is simply a well written, entertaining account of her life in the Northwoods with her family. The writing is so timeless, I rarely remember that I am reading about a family from 60 years ago.

I enjoyed "Woodswoman" books, and thought that in so specific a genre, I would find little else of quality. However, after reading this book, I realize that Rich is the original item, and the standard to which "I want to live in a cabin" books should be judged. It's just plain excellent.

Louise Dickinson Rich is a star! A truly wonderful and gifted writer. You can't put her books down.

"We Took to the Woods" is as charming and delightful a book as you will ever find. It's the story of a city woman living on a remote Maine river with her husband and children. She's not poor, nor a rube, nor does she display the eccentricities one associates with people who flee to the wilderness. Rather, she seems happy, well-adjusted, and full of sympathetic tales about the few -- very few -- people she comes into contact with in the course of her daily life. And she really did live in the woods --the nearest store was a long boat ride away and she didn't go "outside" for a four year stretch. Her township of Upton had a population of 182.

The book is set up in chapters that answer questions: "Isn't housekeeping difficult?" or "Aren't you ever frightened." One of the better stories in the chapter, "Aren't the Children a Problem" tells about her husband delivering the author's baby in the dead of winter -- and greasing it with olive oil which he kept to dress his trout flies. The new parents discuss what they are supposed to do with the hot water always called for when a baby is being born -- and they decide to make coffee.

For the modern reader, the highlights of the book are probably tales of the trials of living without conveniences. The Rich houses -- they had a winter and summer house -- had no plumbing. Heating and cooking were with wood. What you needed for groceries was delivered by boat once a month; the Sears catalog supplied the rest. For anyone who has ever thought wistfully of fleeing civilization, this is a humorous primer of both the rewards and hardships of such a life. It deserves a permanent place on the short shelf of Americana classics.

Smallchief

A friend gave me this book when I was at a very low point in my life. My wife and I read it together, over a long weekend, and packed the car Monday morning. By Wednesday we had our old house listed and Friday we put in an offer on 40 acres with an old farm. We haven't looked back since; but we have given copies of this book to all of our old friends for Christmas.

This book is a great read for anyone who's ever had the desire to just chuck it all and head for the woods (a desire that seems to wax and wane like the tides, popular one decade [1970s, for example], totally passe the next). Today taking to the woods for many means building a $500,000 "rustic retreat" with pool, hot tub, and wine cellar included. For Louise Rich, back in the 1930s (the book was published in 1942), things were much different.

For one thing, her house had no plumbing. Water had to be hauled to the house in buckets. Supplies and the mail came by boat. Life was no picnic for her and her family. But, of course, there were trade offs. The beauty of the place, for one. The living as one with nature. The need to be resourceful, and the feeling of pride and accomplishment that goes with it. Trade offs worth the hardships, Rich makes perfectly clear.

Rich captures the flavor of her idyllic spot in the Maine woods a few miles east of Upton along the Rapid River (the swiftest river east of the Mississippi, even though it is only about four miles long). She describes what life is like there, how the busy summers are a prelude to the slow, long winters. She talks about her neighbors, the loggers, the animals they encounter, how one endures and enjoys life in the woods. She describes the effects of the hurricane of 1938 and the havoc is caused even there, so far inland. Her prose style is clear and direct, and she truly makes the reader jealous of her situation rather than sympathetic. It's an excellent book, one that I've read a number of times, always with an I-wish-I-was-there enthusiasm. Highly recommended.