O Books

Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote these sonnets for her husband and fellow poet Robert Browning. She is capable to move and haunt without saccharine kitsch & schmalz. Her sincerity and intensity are an example to everyone who wants to write poetry or song lyrics. Two thumbs up!

These sonnets ease my tension when I read them.

My ex girlfriend, Ashleigh, gave this to me years ago, before she was forced by her family to marry this guy. Long story but she sent this book to me and signed the inside.
Next to Shakespeare, this is the most bittersweet and poetic
poems of love that I have ever read.
It was said that a husband and wife team wrote these so one can only imagine how passionate their marriage was, huh?

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poems are heartfelt and sincere. The devotion and loyalty she showed her husband was extraordinary, and this compilation of her poems are just a mere example of how much she loved him. Mushy or not, this book moved me to tears.

This book of sonnets and poems is just wonderful. Elizabeth Barrett Browning's writing is able to get to the very heart of the reader with honesty and beauty. This collection really speaks to the romantic soul with passion and truth. I find her writings to be incredibly moving and this volume touched me deeply.

True to the topic, it transports you right there. Historical and old, but still current.

I thought this book was one of the best books Ive ever read it describes how people feel and view the world from inside themselves but can never express this externally or even realise they are thinking these things themselves.

For me It depicts how inadequate we all are men and women, when it comes to Love, and expressing it and sharing it. it flumoxes us all, Its too big for us, "the chickens had more sense"....pass the worms please.

Written about a South African farm. this book depicts the story of a family and how they interact throughout the book. The most striking dynamic in the book is the relationships of the women in it. It portrays female existence in a realistic light even for today. The story has a lot of character to it, and I would recommend it highly for teachers who want to teach about feminism.

Although I had to read this book for a college class, I would read it again in a second, I feel that I can only gain more and more from this book through rereadings. Its plot is at times disjointed to the style of the author and the message she is attempting to convey, so for those who are looking for a strongly Dickensian or "feel good" read, this is most likely not the book for you right now. But for me, from an analytical and heartfelt standpoint, the subtlety of the book and its beauty and its truth made me tear up a little bit. I'm currently writing a paper on Waldo and his artistic and personal growth throughout the novel, so maybe I'm a little biased, but although Lyndall is an incredibly interesting and advanced character, I think Waldo is often glossed over as merely suffering from a religious crisis of faith, and, being a man, not deserving of attention in this novel of the "New Woman". But Waldo ultimately reaches a place of amazing peace and understanding, and the lives of Waldo and Lyndall intertwined together is truly beautiful.

"Story of an African Farm" is a difficult work to describe. It must be read several times, and carefully pondered before all of its secrets are unlocked.

Ostensibly, the book revolves around the lives of three children (and, later, adults) who live in the Karroo plains of South Africa. The main focus, however, is on two of the characters - Waldo, the earnest and deeply curious son of the German farmkeeper, and Lyndall, the beautiful, outspoken and rebellious orphan who suffers all her life for her ideals.

The book itself is semi-autobiographical. Waldo represents Schreiner's journey from fanatical, childlike faith to bitter skepticism, who reaches a watershed of sorts when he hisses to Lyndall 'There is no God - none!'. Lyndall, on the other hand, embodies Schreiner's frustation with her station as a woman - barred from the upper echelons of society, and her inability to find a mate who is both her intellectual match and willing to accept her as an equal. "I want to love", she whispers to the grave of Waldo's father, "I want something great and pure to lift me to itself."

There are many other themes that flesh out the subtext of this extraordinary book - the tragedy of solitude, that ultimately, all humans are alone in the cosmos. "Dear eyes", the dying Lyndall whispers to her mirror, "they will never part us."

Readers who expect a narrative will be dissapointed. What narrative there is serves only to undersore the book's many themes. Often, the flow of the story is out of sequence, or devoid of context, and deliberately so. Roughly, the book is divided into three sections - the first introduces us to the characters as children, and reveals their innermost thoughts. The second, and shortest section is entitled "Times and Seasons". It is somewhat of a summary of what has gone before, dealing mostly with Waldo's journey from Christian fanaticism to dispairing atheism, and foreshadows some of what is to come. The third, and longest section, covers the lives of the characters as adults, and is by far the most powerful, and moving piece of the book.

The reader who is looking for mindless action is advised to pick up the latest Tom Clancy novel, or whatever passes for literature these days. Those who are willing to put aside all preconceived notions, and have their cherished beliefs challenged are invited to read this book. The search for truth is endless. But this book is a perfect place to begin.

Highly Recommended.

Sweet Secrets does not dispense with physiology, but it does bring an emotional and cultural perspective to bear on its subject. Contributions by women of various ages and cultures lead to a multifaceted profile of the experience of menstruation.

This lively, comprehensive and thoughtful book is an empowering resource for the young woman of the 1990s.

Highly Recommended.

-- Sheree Haughian

Addressed to adolescent readers, Sweet Secrets is a charming anthology of personal and fictional stories of menarche (first menstruation) told by women aged 16 to 93, from diverse cultural backgrounds.

The authors present factual information on the physical and emotional changes of puberty in a candid, anecdotal style. This handsome, readable book also features observations on menstruation's cultural and religious significance in ancient and aboriginal societies....

These uplifting tales of women's celebrations, unusual in a puberty education piece, set a new standard for progressive and enlightened learning.

The unique and sensitive approach to menstruation offered in Sweet Secrets guarantees its place as a valuable resource for those seeking help in discussing menstruation with preteen girls.

--Besty Harvie

The book Sweet Secrets was in a word amazing.

The book is aimed at young girls anticipating their first period...

The first part of the book contains basic information (Aaghh what is going on in my body?), how to deal with it emotionally, and provides some ways different cultures celebrate/reject menstruation.

The second part of the book is an anthology of short stories dealing with girls getting their first period. The range of girls and experiences is quite vast....

Throughout the entire book there are sidebars which dispel a lot of the myths surrounding menstruation. There is also excellent health information....

The very best thing about this book is the feeling of empowerment that it will give girls.

--Michelle Teixeira

Sweet Secrets: Stories of Menstruation is the brainchild of Canadians Kathleen O'Grady and Paula Wansbrough. Sweet Secrets laces facts with short stories by various authors about girls having their first periods. The facts are straightforward...Best of all, though, the short stories that form the bulk of Sweet Secrets give girls multiple perspectives on the event - from that of a girl who is flat on her back in a body cast when she gets her first period to that of a girl who has ten minutes between the national anthem and homeroom announcements to cope with her first period alone - so that *whatever* happens when the young reader gets hers, it falls within the spectrum of normal.

-excerpt, by Karen Houppert, reporter for the Village Voice and author of _The Curse: Confronting the Last Unmentionable Taboo: Menstruation.

Sex education teachers O'Grady and Wansbrough have produced an ideal gift for young girls preparing to bloom into womanhood, a book that is as entertaining as it is informative.

Sweet Secrets is about menstruation. Your cycle, your period, your curse, your monthly visitor, your Aunt Flo...whatever phrase you use, you know what it is and unless with few medical exceptions, every girl is going to get it whether she likes it or not. Sweet Secrets could be considered a technical manual for a girl growing up: basic terminology is introduced, and behaviors such as PMS are explained.

What endeared me to this title, however, was the positive approach O'Grady and Wansbrough take to the monthly event that annoys me when it arrives and worries me when it doesn't. First menstruation is a "sweet secret" because it is a girl's own private advancement into adulthood, a rite of passage celebrated in many cultures. An accompanying mini-anthology of essays by women and teenagers emphasizes the poignancy of growing into womanhood while offering sympathy and encouragement.

If you have daughter fast approaching her teens and feel apphrensive about explaining to her the facts of life, let this book be a guide for the both of you, a "sweet secret" to share.

Although this work was certainly not written for beginners in the area of textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible, it is, nontheless the very best reference work on the subject available in English, and should be an essential reference book on the student's bookshelf.
Michael Jacobs

This book outlines the principles of textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible. Especially helpful are discussions of how this field is different than that of Greek New Testament textual criticism.

Note that this book is more of a manual for how to do textual criticism than it is a summary of the current state of knowledge in the field (although it does have a fair amount of that too).

The reviews of the first edition were glowing, and rightly so because this is a superb book. Tov is a world authority in his subject, and has the ability to explain his complex technical subject with great lucidity. This second edition is, however, almost a page for page reprint of the first edition and has only a few small revisions. This is disappointing, and we look forward to a more thoroughly revised third edition in the next few years. Anyone with a first edition need not bother with this one. However, everyone else with more than a beginner's interest in the subject should buy this book now.

As I started diving in translation and text criticism, I needed a pratical introduction to the matter. In such cases you need the BEST. You have to go to the great names. Prof Tov's book brought me where I needed to come! As I learned the jargon, I got acquainted with the state of the art. If not exactly the last word (new discoveries and studies are published every day), I now walk on solid ground on the matter, gained a critical view and can surf on this before unknown sea. I am no longer an absolute outsider. I know the words of the trade! Well used money.

A very thorough and scholarly work which is written in a lucid way for the layman and the boffin alike. It certainly has no theological axe to grind. However, I was dissappointed that the major differences between LXX and Masoretic were not pointed out eg. psalm 40:7, may be if a christian was to see its use in Heb 10:v? it might be a bit controversial? May be this would explain why Hebrews nearly did not make it into the canon of the NT? But this is not the purpose of the book! The plates are an excellent idea as you get to see the 'evidence' so to speak. A glossary of terms would be a good idea so that one can easily decipher what 'orthography' and 'morphology' are for example, without having to search for clues. On the whole a most pleasant book which certainly delivers the goods.

What a beautiful memoir! The setting, a small town in central Canada, was almost exotic to me. The writing is poem-like, clean and meditative. With his gentle voice, Mr. O'Connor takes you to the world of the sensitive boy whose longing and wonder towards his mysterious father is so vividly felt. The beautiful images in the book will remain with me for a long time. I highly recommend this special work.

I work with the author. So much for full disclosure. And I had been told by another colleague before I read it that his book was wonderful. I wasn't prepared, though, to be overwhelmed, and I was: by the richness of its style, the honesty of its emotion, the entertainment of its anecdote, the relief of its humor amid pain and personal discovery. O'Connor travels two paths in search of answers about the emotional chill in his childhood home in Canada and the strange allure of cold climes. This yields on one side beautifully drawn pictures of smalltown life in which O'Connor's growing self-awareness and his tracking of family history coalesce. On the other, its offers perfectly rendered vignettes and lore about famous explorers, plain life and survival in the frigid north. Sometimes the juxtaposition seems impossibly apt, yet never forced. Along each trail run themes in varying proportions of love and hurt, sacrifice and estrangement, distance and intimacy, ambition and constraint. Through it all runs a classically balanced voice, blunt and eloquent and wry in confronting simple or hard truths. There is finally and happily about the book a physical irony in which I regretted its ending so soon but relished the knowledge that I could always find time to return time and again to a book as modest in size as it is grand in reward.

What a fascinating story! And so well written. It brilliantly brings the author's world to life in all its wonderful and awful detail. The people are portrayed so artfully, both as individuals and collectively, that you feel you are among them. And the central story is beautifully touching.

O'Connor's beautiful language is as smooth as ice, as clean as fresh snow. This is a haunting, mysterious story of family secrets, which the author tells partly through direct memoir narrative and partly through metaphorical history and legend of the far north. I found the scenes of O'Connor's boyhood to be particularly well drawn: the ways in which he conjures child logic and perception are magical. Touching, strange, cathartic.

I thought this was just beautifully done. The father, both of the parents, are so well-drawn in it. And the alternation of northern lore with the author's personal story works perfectly: O'Connor's voice is so specific and true, you stay with him as he swings between eskimo legends, a natural history of the northern parts of the continent, and a wildly funny drunken bar room contretemps, easily finding meaningful connections between it all. The main story is wrenching with a beautiful payoff. Read this book!

imagine the combo keep your brain alive and total fitness in 30 minutes a week

I hate to exercise, always have. However, this program is amazingly effective. I have used it 3 times over the last 20 years and it has always worked great. Just finished up the basic 6 month program and can, for the first time in my life, do 3 or 4 one arm pushups with either arm. For me that is almost unbelievable.

Tips to others, don't get too enthuastic. Do only what the book suggest and no more. Don't hurt yourself, don't get fit and drop the program for something more aggressive. Both were reasons I stopped using the program in the past.

The best exercise is one that the person can keep up with and make part of his/her lifestyle. I know no better program than the one in this book. I recommend it highly.

"Total Fitness in 30 Minutes a Week" started me on the road from couch potato to (3:12) marathon runner. I bought it in the late seventies and its regime (which really does only demand 3 x 10 minute sessions a week) showed me that I COULD get fit and feel good about myself.
About three years later (1982) I ran my first marathon. I ran my latest in 2004 at age 58. I still do half-marathons, and I still keep fit.
It really was, for me, a VERY IMPORTANT BOOK.

Although the book is small, it reads like a long book; I wish Dr. Morehouse would cut the stories and focus on the facts. I can't take a star away, though, because in our world of diet/fitness programs overload, Dr. Morehouse's suggestions are simple yet revolutionary. It's a true lifetime fitness program. The plan can easily be followed.

Dr. Norman W. Walker books complement well this book.

Dr. Morehouse hates to exercise but loves to be fit. He spent a career training astronauts, athletes, and Navy personnel. And he worked out what may be the simplest system for developing elements of fitness that have ever been conceived. He based his plan on the need of Naval personnel to live and work in confined spaces, so what he suggests will work in a dorm room or apartment. Buy this book, you will never regret it. Filled with great advice such as saying that no one has the right to put you under so much pressure that you lose your will to stay fit.

What a beautiful book! Carmen Leal has created a book that not only looks great on your coffee table but warmly invites you to take the time to look inside. The sheep pictures throughout the book remind us how important our relationship with the Shepherd is. As Carmen shares stories of individuals who have experienced the message of the twenty-third Psalm in their own times of grief, Carmen illustrates how reliance on God during the painful times of life can bring comfort to those who grieve.
This book is a must for your coffee table. Have an extra copy on hand so you will have one to share with friends during their time of grief. This book will make a difference in many lives!

Often, grief looms as a complicated process requiring individuals to move at their own personal pace. For some, the journey is long and arduous; for others, a brief moment in time. No matter how you handle grief, a book like The Twenty-Third Psalm for Those Who Grieve is a great resource. The beautiful book cover alone is enough to begin to soothe your soul, even before reading the tender stories inside. Carmen Leal's words speak to the heart and caress with a gentle hug. This inspirational book makes a wonderful gift for those in need of comfort.

Carmen Leal's second book in The Twenty-Third Psalm series is one of those books that speaks directly to the heart. Told through the honest lens of true-life experiences, it carries a message of hope: "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.--Deuteronomy 33:27"

When my mom died unexpectedly last summer, it felt like my world suddenly stood still. Although people offered comfort the best they knew how, a book like this would have been wonderful to curl up with in those quiet middle-of-the-night hours when I couldn't sleep.

I love it because it's not your typical "grief book". It doesn't dish out advice, or discuss the various steps of grief. It simply offers candid accounts of people just like you and me who lost someone precious in their life, yet with the Shepherd's help, found the strength to continue on.

It makes good sense to keep several copies of The Twenty-Third Psalm for Those Who Grieve on hand as a ministry tool. That's what I intend to do.

Carmen Leal's newest Twenty-third Psalm book is the perfect gift for those who are hurting. It is a sensitive reminder that in Christ we have a Shepherd who cares about us, who provides for all our needs, who gives us hope and peace and courage to face the difficult times in our lives. I recommend it highly.

Carmen Leal has given us a tender look at our Shepherd through THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM FOR THOSE WHO GRIEVE. When we get to know the Shepherd and all He wants to provide, we find comfort in such amazing new ways. Carmen reminds us how our Shepherd meets our deepest needs when we're trudging through painful valleys. I was so blessed to find hope and healing tucked between the pages of breath-taking artwork. What a beautiful reminder of the Shepherd's powerful presence in every difficult journey.

No matter what your interests, you will enjoy this book! I received it one afternoon and finished it before retiring that evening. Who knows, the author may be right on the mark with his scenario of events at the close of the Vietnam War. It is definitely thought provoking. Highly recommended.

The Twilight of the Day is a rivoting story that is probably closer to the truth that anyone would want to believe. Once you pick it up you cannot put it down. It is a "must read" for anyone who knows and cares about what happened in Viet Nam. I am looking forward to reading more from Ian O'Connor.

Review by Ginnie FitzGerald: truly riveting! Husband enjoyed it so much I had to read it. True to his word, it grabbed my attention and was very fast paced. I could not put it down until I had finished it! I most highly recommend it!

This book was a very good story about what might have happened to POWs in the Viet Nam conflict. A lot of those held by the North Vietnamese were highly educated pilots and the premise for the book is right on! Excellent reading and definitely food for thought. Top drawer and fast paced reading.

This novel is a refresher course that the bad guys are still out there with sinister plans to conquer the world by whatever means possible. It's not enough that Qaddafi has this oil niche and the economic power that goes with it but he allows insane subordinates concoct fiery schemes. The notion that Vietnam POW's were ruthlessly mistreated and in the middle of this plot kept me reading on and on. Good luck with any future writing endeavors

"Voices of the Lost and Found" has to rank as one of contemporary fiction's top short story collections, that all-too-rare blend of master craftsmanship and totally compelling fiction. Each story hooks its reader from the first sentence to the last period - and far beyond -- into edgy mini worlds, each so different it's hard to believe the same person created them. The insights into human relationships, delicious surprises and downright entertaining storytelling make for powerful reading. I found myself slowing down about halfway through the collection - because I didn't want to hit the point where I had no more stories to read! It's the perfect gift for those who treasure short stories with power and zing.

Reading the stories in Dorene O'Brien's short story collection, Voices of the Lost and Found, is akin to having a carnival worker assure you that there's nothing to worry about, even as he grins menacingly watching the car you're sitting in enter some dark tunnel ahead. I skipped around as I often do in a collection of shorts, and was wrapped up in a blaze of tension right off the bat, immersing myself in Riding the Hubcap, a tale of two young men on the run from a rural Michigan city after a string of robberies. The characters in Voices are from many walks of life, young and old, black and white, and it only adds to the rich layering present in O'Brien's prose. But even if you start at the beginning, you'll be rewarded with great storytelling. Ovenbirds will pull you into O'Brien's way of writing instantly, as you agonize for the outcome of the life of a young mother who was once the captive victim of a misogynistic killer deep in the Catskills. O'Brien's voice, while so unique, is typical of Michigan's many hidden jewels. That is to say, it's there for everyone to discover, right under one's feet, but sometimes it takes a little luck to unearth it. The roller coaster ride her yarns takes us on is worth the price of admission.

If you haven't read Dorene O'Brien before, be advised: This is one of those anthologies where you will read one story or maybe just one page of Ms. O'Brien's writing and you will know that twenty years from now, you will remember where you were. She is that good.
You will know you are witnessing something special. Another reviewer used the word virtuosity. I couldn't agree more. From the unexpected endings to the diverse voices, from the edgy settings to the incredible empathy with the human condition, Ms. O'brien articulates her stories with absolute virtuosity.

The voices, attitudes and personalities of every character in every story are so different, it's difficult to believe all of these stories are written by one person. O'Brien's writing is breathtaking and her imagination is downright astonishing! A wonderful collection of short stories.

The woman can write. There you go. The stories in this collection are clever, insightful, and each one is memorable in its own way. If you appreciate good ideas and a style that complements each story rather than overwhelming it, this is the collection for you. Think Raymond Carver. Think Edgar Allan Poe (without the obsession about being entombed alive). A terrific assortment of stories that are even better on a second reading.

Where No Gods Came is a true coming of age story: the brave Faina McCoy navigates the dangerous waters of the adult world with all the spunk, know-how, and hope she has in her heart. O'Connor's vivid prose lets us deeply into each character as the story slowly winds/unwinds through the year. A must read book.

This has got to be the fastest book I've ever read. O'Connor's ability to attract and capture the audience's attention does not falter once. Written from three different perspectives, you see humanity in real terms. This is an exceptional story of survival that I hope everyone has a chance to read. Bravo, Sheila!

Exquisitely written with excellent character development. You will embrace Faina in your heart. A poignant and memorable read. Looking forward to O'Connor's next novel.

A treasure of a book. O'Connor masterfully depicts the coming of age of young Faina McCoy -- at once tough and fragile.

No detail is wasted. No emotion goes untested.

O'Connor's tale of a youth exposed to the fallout of the her damaged family's reckless life choices, keeps you on the edge of your seat, fervently hoping that Faina will emerge with a happy ending to her story.

O'Connor's attention to detail allows us to immediately identify and sympathize with Faina. The author deftly depicts the cruelty of throwaway comments by those around Faina, the pressures of wanting to fit it with other preteens and having to shoulder (literally) the frailties and flaws of the family that makes it impossible to fit in anywhere. And she does so with gut-felt truthfulness and gritty accuracy.

Don't miss this wonderful novel.

This is the story of Faina, a young girl sent to live with her mother and sister, neither of whom she has ever known, while her father takes a job on an Alaskan rig to pay off gambling debts.

Faina starts off charmingly naiive, but is quickly immersed into the tragic world in which her sister and mother live. In different ways she becomes a magnet of salvation for both mother and sister, both of whom seek redemption and freedom from the choices of their past. It is truly a compelling read -- a simple story of a girl suddenly thrust into a highly unstable environment. There is not a hint of fakeness to the book. You almost want to reach out and wipe Faina's tears away with a Kleenex.

This is not at all the type of book that I usually read, but I would highly recommend it.