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Modern Classic for Young Adult Fantasy ReadersReview Date: 2008-07-20
A heroine that fails to disappoint. Review Date: 2008-07-11
Granted as others point out, this is very obviously a first novel that will kick-off a series. And while I did enjoy it, I do prefer to have series of novels have the ability to be stand-alones.
A terrific kick-off, to what I hope to be a wonderful series.
Good read, too short.Review Date: 2008-03-01
Life Changing at 12Review Date: 2007-11-29
I was 12 years old, timid and accepting of even the worst opinions of me.
When I read it, I was enlightened. A whole five foot one, (four foot eleven at the time), I was keenly aware of her height issues and the jokes her friends made.
The way she shaped her own life made me feel as if I could do the same. And I have. I took control -- or as Alanna would say "rode the tiger" and I've made my own way in the world and I don't think anyone would call me timid now.
I'm in college now, and I know if I start to feel down or like I'm losing confidence in myself, I can just pick up my old worn out copy of Alanna (or any of the subsequent sequels) and feel better, feel like a stronger woman because of it. Tamora Pierce was a saint for writing this book. Sometimes I even feel like she wrote it just for me!
Basic moral valuesReview Date: 2008-02-04
What about integrity, justice, truth as foundations of doing right?
Compare this heroine with Jonas in The Giver, Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, Andy in Wolf Rider, or Karana in The Island of the Blue Dolphins.

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Food Science and HistoryReview Date: 2008-07-26
top stuffReview Date: 2008-07-17
"On Food and Cooking" by Harold McGeeReview Date: 2008-07-17
a cooks must have!Review Date: 2008-06-11
teaches only namesReview Date: 2008-07-07

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Hilarious reading....Review Date: 2008-07-10
he is a nice manReview Date: 2008-04-14
Too repetitious.Review Date: 2008-04-02
The book is pretty explicit. Coarse language is used, so definitely not recommended for kids.
I started reading the book but quit half way through. I did enjoy it at first, and did laugh out loud, but it just got too much at the end. I found the book too repetitious, sick at times and overly perverted. I did not like it when he talked of kids and sex. I know he is trying to be funny, but one should draw the line somewhere. There are some sick people out there who might just take him seriously. Words are mightier than the sword, so we should really be careful about what we say.
I would prefer seeing the book performed in a comedy club than actually reading it. I think the jokes and stories would sound better in a club with other people participating and laughing. Sometimes you find yourself laughing at mediocre jokes or stories when you hear others laugh. After all, that's why TV programs sometimes have a live audience or recorded laughter in the background.
You might also want to check out the audio version of this book, which is read by the author.
mehReview Date: 2008-01-22
As far as shocks go, Dave Attell's new material is exactly what this book should have been.
A dissapointing struggle to finish.Review Date: 2008-01-21
I did laugh a few times, hence the 2 stars instead of 1.

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dogReview Date: 2008-07-19
Merle -- a giftReview Date: 2008-07-17
We all need to make our times with our animals -- dogs, cats, birds, whatever -- as full as Ted and Merle made theirs.
A must read, A must shareReview Date: 2008-07-14
Great BookReview Date: 2008-07-14
I've fallen in love with MerleReview Date: 2008-07-15
Not only is the story real and honest and warm, it teaches you all about the canine in your family.
The reader, Patrick Lawlor, had to know and love Merle and I felt every little emotion of his. His reading was superb and heartfelt. The best part were his conversations with his dog, Merle.
Now that I have finished reading, I miss Merle terribly and I find myself looking at other dogs and wondering if that was how Merle was.
This is a must read for anyone who loves dogs.

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Not Essays but OKReview Date: 2004-08-10
Judge the book on its own termsReview Date: 2004-01-12
It's time to give the Iowa Workshop a break. Just let it go. I mean, really, whether it's jealousy, or a rejected application, or just some strange anti-MFA vendetta, there seems to be a pervasive, generic attack on all who spent time at the school. People, it's just a school, good or bad. It's not some factory that automatically frankensteins each poetry student into some Jorie Graham/Michael Palmer avant-guardian. We actually have our own minds, styles, and ideas, and some of us even hold onto them well after we graduate. Imagine that.
I can assure you, there are few labels that would accurately portray all Iowa workshop students across the board, especially in the poetry program. You have no idea what it was like there unless you were there, and it varies from year to year. I would be uncomfortable judging people who've just graduated the program on the same standards, attitudes and practices I found during my '95-'97 term.
I'm not saying you have to like it, but review the work itself as it is given to you, not the Workshop or the writer's personal life. Why do people have to dismiss or attack writers and their works simply because they come out of a specific school, or because they are popular, or because the author has some success at an early age? Good writing has come out of Iowa, bad writing has come out of Iowa, just like every other MFA program, publishing house, school of thought, or geographical area.
This is an incredible work. Truly dazzling.
And to the reviewer who slams John for "plagiarizing" Dave Eggers, I can tell you that John had already written several of these essays, and published at least one of them in a journal (the Martha Graham piece)years before "A Heartbreaking Work..." was even published.
John is an exceptionally gifted writer and person, but even with all of his talent and imagination, I don't think he has the ability to steal work that didn't even exist at the time. To that reviewer, do your homework before you use serious words like "plagiarism" - John has clearly done his.
To the World: I Accept Your ChallengeReview Date: 2004-08-31
hermits are suppose to write wellReview Date: 2003-09-13
No Hype for youReview Date: 2003-10-19

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It really IS a great bookReview Date: 2008-06-07
The Blue Day BookReview Date: 2007-12-12
NOTE there are two versions of this book outReview Date: 2007-07-04
All in oneReview Date: 2007-03-23
Fabulous photosReview Date: 2007-11-05
The volume describes myriad ways in which we all may feel under the weather sometimes--all of them illustrated with fetching postures and facial expressions of a large group from the animal kingdom--polar bears, pigs, lambs, monkeys, mice, dogs, kittens, lions, hippos, camels, sea lions, penguins, pelicans, even an anteater--and so on.
But the bottom line is that life goes on--and that people are "only young once...and never old twice." In other words, pick yourself up and enjoy life to its fullest, despite your blues, while you can.
Fabulous.
--Alyssa A. Lappen

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The Horror of war creeps on you, and yet, touched by hopeReview Date: 2008-06-12
The horrors of the true story memoir creeps and builds. Intertwined by the deeds of the people coming together to help, adds hope to dispel the sense of a world with no compassion.
The emotional connection to the group of Marines known as Lava (named for where they trained in Hawaii) is immediate in the first few pages.
A career Marine fighting in Iraq (and sometimes near the border of Syria) desperately searches for a way to bring home to the States - a rescued puppy. (Thou shalt not have pets nor befriend animals, Article G something). Marines, news reporters, State side animal rescue groups, supportive Iraqis; fighting against the military machine ordered to shoot dogs. All this, while under the guns of insurgents, rocket propelled grenades, car bombs, cows strapped with suicide equipment.
To add more heart pressing depression to the harsh truths revealed, reading the parts about puppies being buried alive in sewers, fresh in my mind was the 'youtube' story. (Of the puppy thrown off the cliff by Marines making home videos. How could you?)
The author describes the military rationale behind some of the numbing military rules and realities.
Do I feel a little wiser after reading this?
What's the difference between foreign militants or American Marines shooting puppies?
I read this book in one sitting, not skipping to the last page (no cheating). I couldn't put it down.
Apple pie, Marilyn Monroe, dogs and waggily tailed puppies.
Tears for 21 Lava. Angels with wings, for sure.
Nice story about a man and his dog, but not written very well.Review Date: 2008-05-15
Dogs and ChildrenReview Date: 2008-04-25
Could Have Been So Much BetterReview Date: 2008-06-12
I'm surprised this book had two authors and quite possibly an editor and yet, it's so choppy and poorly written and dare I say, juvenile at times and I'm not talking about the profanity sprinkled throughout the book either. I'm not tremendously offended by profanity. In this case, I didn't feel it added or detracted from the book for me. The problem here is vocabulary. For example, there are several passages where the author used one word or one phrase over and over and over. In one passage it's the word "weird" when he's trying to explain to the reader how being in Iraq was and in another passage it's the phrase "at least" that begins every sentence for at least a paragraph. Maybe someone can gift him a thesaurus.
Frankly, until I read the interview between Amazon and the author, I would have just given the book 1 star because if the subject matter of the book wasn't so attractive, I doubt it would ever have gotten published. In the interview above at least, he does seem to have a more diverse vocabulary than was apparent in the book.
Another thing I found extremely difficult to get past was a passage where the author describes those who join the Army as basically losers, the guys who couldn't get the girl, who didn't play sports and who just weren't "good" enough was the impression I got. So unnecessary to the story and in my opinion, absolutely NOT true.
One last thing that gave me pause was the way he described himself getting into the faces of Iraqi's and hollering at them, including profanity which he insisted the interpreter include when relaying it back. Maybe they needed it, I don't know, I wasn't there but all I could think of while reading that was that's the sort of behavior that quite possibly could cost lives down the line. It's sort of like you can criticize your own children but woe unto those who are NOT a part of your family criticizing them. It just doesn't fly and even the author comes to realize this later in the book.
I don't know if I can honestly say this book is worth reading. I gave it two stars because I love dogs and found the subject matter appealing. The rest of the book just wasn't up to par to me and if you are looking to read down-to-earth, I-Was-There accounts of the goings on in Iraq or poignant, heartwarming stories about dogs then there are much better books out there on those subjects.
Love and WarReview Date: 2008-06-10
The heart of the story is, of course, the dog Lava, but this book is much more than a story about a dog. The tagline is "A Marine, the War, and a Dog..." for a reason. Lava is the vehicle for Kopelman's journey, and it makes for a powerful story of war and healing. Nowhere is this more evident than the chapter where Kopelman sits at home, in the agonizing hours he waits for news of Lava's escape and at the same time details the deaths and atrocities occurring in Iraq at the same time as all this effort is being exerted for a puppy.
Honestly, I didn't love the writing, but it was effective. Kopelman is obviously a smart and capable guy, and the book reads as though he is sitting in the room with you, relating this crazy story over dinner and a beer. He is honest and emotional about all sides of the war, Marines, and himself, for good and bad. I liked him and was rooting for him as much as the dog. The questions raised by the war for all of us are the questions Kopelman is faced with in person, in the form of a scruffy puppy he finds in his boot. He addresses these questions, if not eloquently, than at least thoroughly and with feeling. He makes his choice, as we all must, and he has to live with it, as do we all. Though it may have been a bit heavy-handed at times, this book brought together many issues, and many facets of each, into one emotional package, and it made me think as well as feel.
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Likely the most delightful novel I've ever readReview Date: 2008-04-22
"All Creatures Great and Small" is autobiographical in that Mr. Herriot is the central character of the book, though James Herriot is the pen name of the real author, Jim Wight. However, since the work is defined as a novel, then one may assume that Mr. Herriot took certain liberties in relating many of the tales he unfolds. Mr. Herriot is a veterinary surgeon, and much of his novel specifically involves dealing with particular cases of sick livestock and ailing house pets. One should not quickly conclude, however, that this story is merely about the ramblings of a country animal doctor who at times finds himself in interesting situations, as some reviewers would suggest.
Instead, my feeling is that Mr. Herriot utilized his visits to multiple and varied farms and residences in the British countryside to highlight the individual conditions, attitudes, and distinctive persons he discovered at each location. The book becomes absolutely delightful and poignant, for instance, when Mr. Herriot kindly sits at an aging woman's bedside and tenderly comforts her with his voiced belief that her devoted, loving dogs and cats are indeed possessed of souls and that she need not fear that they will again be her companions in the afterlife.
And I do not believe I have laughed out loud so frequently while reading one book. Some of my personal favorites are when his brakes go out on his car and he must navigate a steep and winding descent to the bottom of a low valley, where his next veterinary visit is scheduled, and when he finds himself on his first date with the woman he is destined to marry and the only respectable dress suit he owns is several years out of fashion and far too tight-fitting, which is partly why he becomes far too nervous and a bout of awkward conversation and actions follow. Additionally, much might be said here about the quirky relationship Mr. Herriot has with his unpredictable and explosive yet perfectly harmless and generous employer, a Mr. Siegfried Farnon, and Siegfried's younger brother, Tristan. Farnon's demanding attitude regarding his veterinary business affairs, especially in the face of Tristan's irresponsibility in mishandling assignments and responsibilities, is often the basis for much of the hilarity in the book.
In speaking of his relationships with those to whom he is closest on a personal level and the frequently visited owners of his animal patients, Mr. Herriot has an especially profound gift when it comes to praising the best characteristics that are found in the human race. He speaks with eloquent fondness when describing the beautiful traits he sees in his lovely Helen, his soon-to-be wife. And when he stumbles upon a man or woman who he feels is in ownership of certain admirable exceptionality, such as industry or thrift or honesty or discipline or gentleness, his written accolades of such persons is heartwarming and deeply inspiring.
Thus I would say that this book has everything. It touches upon the topics of death, faith, humor, love, devotion, stewardship, human strengths and frailties, prosperity and poverty, work and idleness, occupation, and the list goes on. Given that these interesting topics are handled so capably by Mr. Herriot's writing talent, I doubt that any sensitive reader would find this book to be anything but delightful and praiseworthy.
wonderful bookReview Date: 2008-04-04
I remember seeing my high school biology teacher reading this book at her desk while she had some time to herself, while we did our thing with dissections, etc. It seemed that she couldn't get her hands off this book. And I'd wonder what the book was about. Something about creatures. Maybe it was about GOD and church and religion.
Now that I've had a chance to read this book, twenty years later, I can say that it is a wonderful book! You don't want this book to end. And now I understand why my biology teacher was so hooked on it.
This is a nonfictional book about an English veterinarian writing about his funny and sometimes dramatic profession. From how he started, to his everyday events in a small town (away from the big city such as London) to how he meets his future wife, and his gradual establishment of his veterinary life. This book is filled with funny moments that makes you pause with a smile on your face. And has its poignant moments that makes you realize its wonderful writing.
This book gives you a glimpse of what the veterinary world is like on his side, on the countryside of life, with real people and real stories, and of course, with real animals. Animals and people and veterinary work that you will come to love.
Beautiful editionReview Date: 2007-07-16
Absolutely delightful, sorry when I had finished all three...Review Date: 2008-03-31
Just as relavent now...Review Date: 2007-12-08

One of my old favoritesReview Date: 2007-06-01
The Silver Crown reveiwReview Date: 2006-11-15
Well written but occasionally datedReview Date: 2005-12-26
I gave my copy away many years ago and regretted it.Review Date: 2007-04-19
A Fantastic Dark Fantasy StoryReview Date: 2005-06-26
The issues raised in another review here (regarding the unhelpfulness of adult authority figures in the book, and Ellen's bad descision to accept a ride from a stranger) would be points well taken if this were a book for 5 year olds. However, any child old enough to read and appreciate this book should be well past the point of learning that policemen are generally good and that hitchhiking is unwise. Give kids some credit! And give them good books, like this one.

I love it - kids not so thrilled (not sure why)Review Date: 2008-06-24
Unfortunately, I've yet to get either of my nieces overly involved in it. They'll sit through it, but they won't request it :(
So I've had to take a star off what I'd normally rank this book as because, in my house, it's just not doing its job. I don't know why they don't love it, they just don't.
A favorite classic!Review Date: 2008-06-13
Wonderful bookReview Date: 2008-05-19
Cute bookReview Date: 2008-04-28
Delightful Book!Review Date: 2008-04-08
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