Authors Books

Jacobus'characters are lost in paradise. As natives or tourists in the Islands of Hawaii, they seek to find themselves in a place of amazing beauty and compelling challenges.
His short stories are both entertaining and poignant.

Jacobus has given us a sensitive and evocative portrayal of stories in the Islands as he paints wonderful pictures of each individual we see facing life changing situations.

Clear,clean writing reminiscent of Hemingway's best.A must read for those who admire short stories with bite and sensitivity.

VOLCANIC JESUS by Lee Jacobus is a series of short stories set in Hawaii that seems to be the next best thing to a trip to the islands. Jacobus is at his best when he profiles the lives of native Hawaiians, one of the least explored of the "annexed American" groups. He catches and captures a floating culture whose traditions have been undermined with nothing to show for it but shopping malls and other American perks.
Indeed, their redeeming quality is resiliance in the face of anonymity.

I love to read. A friend sent me a gift of Volcanic Jesus. I found the book engaging and that the author is a master storyteller who can write about sex, faith, family, suffering and joy, and the human condition. I have visited Hawaii, but this was my first introduction to the decendents of the "first families" as the author tells of their "joys and woes". If you like to read, you will love the book.

While I didn't find every story particularly gripping or insightful, for those I didn't, there is someone I know who did so there seems to be something for everyone. The strength of these short stories is that the portrayals are so convincing to get us involved yet short enough to leave much to the imagination. The stories about the soon-to-be-guardian, the cancer patient, the mountain climber, the child on a road trip, and the sheriff were all powerful.

I picked this book up based on a friend's recommendation.

"We're In Trouble" is one of the best, and most memorable, books I have read this year. The theme: people in extremely difficult life circumstances, and their varied responses, is a difficult,painful topic to tackle, and there were moments where I almost could not take it. I hung on through the tough parts and found that the author took me places I don't usually go, and saw things I might not otherwise see, which, after all is part of why I read in the first place. I found this to be one of the most rewarding, thought-provoking short-story collections I have read in years.

Chris Coake doesn't subscribe to the wacky narrative experiments that seem to be infesting the American literary landscape lately. There's no funky type-setting, no illustrations, no cameos by comic book heroes or post-modern tomfoolery. But at the same time, it's not fair to place his work in the strictly neo-realist tradition either: the dull epiphany punctuated by a stream of quotidian events. He's just too original for that trap. He's experimental and conventional at once. The title story is three unrelated stories in one that share similar themes. The final story, "All Through the House", plays with chronology to maximize its cumulative affect.

He's convincing, deliberate and never gimicky. His stories have a sort of devastating quietness about them--stories that are invested in character and craft--stories that are unsettling, that are bristling and building like a dormant volcano, adding pressure upon pressure toward the last sentence. The final affect is startling, pure and terrifyingly beautiful.

These stories are often dark but never cynical, haunting but humane. There's a morality behind the trauma, a design that seems to redeem its horrors (Coake never compensates for the trauma--but there is something that is always subtlely gained, extracted from it. In "Abandon", for instance, it's a sense of accountability, of true devotion). The title of the collection is evocative of its theme--but to say these stories confront the cataclysmic seems to undermine their subtlety. It's not the event that matters but the way that the characters respond to the cataclysm. In clumsier hands, these stories could be vulgar, almost melodramatic. But Coake is in such control of his craft that he pulls each one off masterfully.

In short, this is the strongest and most consistent story collection I've read in years. If you care about literary fiction: Read him. Go. Now. Get this book. Read it. And Enjoy.

The prevailing theme of these short stories is of love, in the face of death, and this core idea is viewed from a fascinating variety of angles: long-married love confronting terminal illness, sudden death of friends turning a young man into a reluctant father, love entwined in jealousy, depression and violence, love born of heroism. Each scenario presents real characters, people we all know, tightly drawn, speaking words we all recognize. You read these stories with a near sense of having heard of or known these people. I read this book straight through, gripped by each unique story, and look forward eagerly to future work from this author. Don't be dissuaded by the seemingly dark content; some of these stories are actually uplifting, or at least come to a satisfactory close.

As other reviewers have stated,these unusual stories combine the themes of love and death in some very troubling and thought provoking ways. An amazing debut collection of short stories with nary a dud in the bunch. My favorite by far was "All through the house", but all these stories are much better than the standard fare gracing the best seller list. Christopher Coake has an illustrious career ahead of him.

I keep this book handy for a quick read and the perusal of some wonderful art. It's colorful, restful, and thought-provoking. It keeps reaffirming for me that reading is definitely a passion to be pursued amid all the busy-ness and daily stresses. It's a terrific gift to give your book-lover friends and family!

It would be difficult for a book lover not to thoroughly enjoy this collection of writings about books. A great resource for thinking about books, reading and writing, for ideas about how to go about reading and writing, and for just finely crafted writing by lovers of books.

Bascove's art which adorns this collection creates a marvelously private, cozy, bookish world where voices seldom sound aloud, and the world outside is muted, allowing the reader or writer to be in the world on the printed page.

This is a gorgeous book! It is filled with essays and poems and thoughts on reading, writing, and the love of books. The writings are from various authors some classic and well known and some I haven't heard of before. Some writings I liked a lot better than others. (-Regardless of the ones that didn't 'speak' to me, I still consider this a great collection of writings on the subjects I love.) The paintings are rich in color and detail and anyone who loves books/reading/writing will enjoy these highly eye appealing pictures that depict people with books! I'd love to have some of these to hang in my home!

This is a beautiful gift for yourself or someone you know who loves the literary world.

Buy it and enjoy!

I am pleased with the handling of my order of "Where Books Fall Open". The book arrived in a timely manner and in good condition. I will always buy from Amazon.

This anthology of prose and poetry starts out strong .... prose selections from Italo Calvino, Lynne Schwartz, Roy Blount and Anne Fadiman are wonderful, affectionate tributes to reading, Also, I think this is the first time Steve Martin and Jane Austen have appeared together, and both are fine. There are also a LOT of poems here, and some are better than others, as with all poetry. This is a mix of contemporary (Fran Lebowitz, Billy Collins) and classic (Cervantes, Elizabeth Barret Browning) selections that explore reading, writing and books. Artwork by Bascove is of a style consistent with the cover -- bold, colorful and primitive, sixteen paintings that also feature books. A percentage of the profits go to First Book, a literacy program for children.

I'd say the quality of the selections is uneven, but you will undoubtedly find something, and probably many things, that will please you. This is a small volume that can be read quickly, or savored, and as an object it is very pleasing. This would make a fine gift for a bibliophile you know.

All three stories were well written. These stories deserve their own stand alone novel! They were great. All the stories pulled you in and you hated to see the characters go! I would love to hear more about Erin and Raimi as well as Tre' and Dr. Summer Lane.

All three stories were great. Francis Ray's story was about Samantha Clark, a former manager of a bed and breakfast. Samantha answer an ad for a housekeeping position and never expects to find the handsome Ethan Rawlins, a man still in pain. Shirley Hailstock's story is about a woman that was hurt when her prom date stood her up. Now he has returned and she is trying to fight the attraction that still lingers. Donna Hill's story is about a radio relationship expert that has no relationship of her own, when she meets the handsome program director, will all of that change?

If you only had one wish for Christmas, what would it be? Would it be something materialistic, or would it be to find love with that special someone, on the day that is set aside to celebrate the birth of the one who is the epitome of unwavering love? In WINTER NIGHTS, an anthology with stories from such notable authors as Francis Ray, Donna Hill and Shirley Hailstock, we are treated to three endearing stories of true love at its finest.

Though each story was your typical romance with the happily ever after ending, the authors managed to portray deep emotions that have you rooting for the characters as they embark on that often bumpy, but ultimately rewarding, road to love and happiness. Next time you're feeling blue and need a little something to bring a smile to your face, or you want to escape from the pressures of life, pick up a copy of the newly re-released WINTER NIGHTS. You're sure to come away with a full heart and the knowledge that true love really does conquer all.

Reviewed by Renee Williams
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Again my girl Ray out did herself with another great read! "Winter Nights" kept me up all night! I encourage everyone to go out and get a copy. They even have it in paperback now!

Francis Ray's, "Until Christmas" is a touching novella about a young woman who not only touched the heart of the high school principal, Ethan Rawlings, but Samantha also won the hearts of Ethan's twins, Alan and Alex. Samantha, aka "Sam," was hired as a combination housekeeper, babysitter temporarily, but only until Christmas. At least, that is what Ethan told the twins and Sam, as well as himself. However, it was much too late for all of them to abide by this decision. Each was starved for the other's affections and each had become too attached to give up. The twins, not only saw Sam as their housekeeper/babysitter, but they saw her as a friend. She could play ball and was not afraid of their dog. The twins' affection went deeper still. Although they were in contact with their grandmother, they were still minus a mother figure. Sam with her winning ways, not only because she was a good cook and let them help her in the kitchen, but because it was who she was, had become special to them and they wanted her with them full time. Not only had Sam become special to them and the twins had become special to Sam, but Sam had also affected the twins' dad. Ethan's feelings for Sam were more than that of an employer, more than that of a friend. Somehow, in that short time, Sam had imbedded herself into Ethan's heart. Was he willing to allow a new love interest into his life or was he still shadowed by the deceit and experience of his ex-wife and the deceased mother of his twins. Ethan thought he had a solution to the problem when he reluctantly agreed to keep Sam, "but only until Christmas." However, love does not have a set time to go away. Therefore, until Christmas, turned out to a lifetime of love for Sam, Ethan, Alan and Alex. "Until Christmas" was the best. Way to go, Ms. Ray.

"Kwanzaa Angel" was a sweet remembrance into the past with a chance to correct the future. Erin had been hurt in the past by Raimi, who had reentered her life. Would Erin give in to her feelings that never dissolved for Raimi and become involved in a new relationship or would she revert back into the past? "Kwanzaa Angel" was about the Kwanzaa celebration, but with a twist of love for Erin and Raimi. Good story.

"'Round Midnight" was about the New Year's celebration. I loved the story of Dr. Summer Lane, the psychologist who now has a job at the radio station as a counselor on the air. Her show airs around midnight. It is at the radio station where Summer meets Tre Holland, one of the bosses. Everyone thinks Summer is a snow or ice maiden because Summer stays to herself and does not socialize with the others. However, Tre is attracted to Summer and sets out to melt the snow. Summer also has feelings for Tre and wants the ice to melt from around her heart. However, after getting together, somewhere while the ice is melting another freeze comes along and the ice around Summer's heart becomes another block of ice. Summer and Tre suffer heartship and are temporarily separated. Tre sets out to recapture Summer's love and to permanently melt the ice. He knows a new year will be approaching and is determined to be in Summer's life when the new year begins. So, he sets out around midnight to make it happen. Will Tre succeed in his endeavor? Read "'Round Midnight" and see what the New Year has in store for Summer and Tre. Great story with just the right amount of heat.

All these stories were well written but I could only get enthusiastic about 25% of them.

Would it be entitled, YES, YES, CHERRIES? We can all vouch for Audrey Hepburn. Most respectfully, I can vouch for M.O. having long, long ago worked with for years in a bookstore on Melrose Avenue. She surprises us as much as a person and being-human as does her sparkle writing. Writing is only as "real" as the personhood. Don't worry. You won't be disappointed. Mary Otis can do no wrong. She's a highly cultivated, very aware observer (interior and exterior) with that twist of lemony colored fate. And Audrey Hepburn attitude. Thank you.

A wonderful debut by a gifted, original stylist. Armed with little more than good intentions, the hapless women and children who are Otis' protagonists do their best to survive and to find love in a world, fragmented and twisted off its axis, which no longer obeys the expected rules. Otis' eye for the absurdities of contemporary life is razor-sharp and unflinching, but always informed by humor and compassion. In unique and surprising language, Otis presents stories to be savored and re-read. Highly recommended.

I am not usually someone who reads short stories, often feeling like they do not allow me to really enter and explore a specific world for any length of time. This collection of short stories is the exception. I devoured this book in the same way I would a rivetingly good novel. Mary Otis's world is so complete, her characters so surprising and intriguing and the stories so connected, I literally couldn't put it down. I laughed outloud, I was moved, I was forced to reflect on my own idiosyncracies. Each story stays with you almost like a film would, with the images resonating long after. Mary is truly a brilliant new talent. I encourage all to buy this book!

I stumbled upon a reading by Mary Otis herself at the famed Book Soup in Los Angeles. Being a film editor, sights and sounds distract my attention from the written word, but the pictures Mary painted were too descriptive to dismiss. I was pulled into a story filled with colorful characters, and their often awkward, but very human scenarios. With further reading, each story was threaded by her characters' poignant, private observations, which range from comical to desperate, but mostly, bitter-sweet.

I couldn't help but make a connection to filmmakers Robert Altman (i.e. Shortcuts), or Jim Jarmusch (i.e. Broken Flowers), both in storytelling style, and character use. Mary's storytelling has a slight, but intentional disjunctive quality, yet the dots connect in a cohesive whole with the closure of each story. Her characters try to find their place in this awkward world, but along the way, never forget to laugh, or at least allow us to laugh. Overall, her dry, slightly sarcastic take on the human condition, be it marriage, the family structure, or social grace and lack thereof, make for an endearing read.

I fell in love with this book when I first perused it many years ago at the house of a friend. Whenever I would go over there I would grab it from off the shelf. It was very old, so I never suspected it was still in print. Needless to say, I was thrilled to obtain my own copy, which remains on my bedstand.

I love this book. The poems are great and I can find the poems that Anne says in the movie, "Anne of green Gables" and "Anne of Avonlee" I love the poems. I like These are the Times That try Mens Soals.

My father had an old copy of this book that he read as a child. He loved to read his favorites from this book, or simply recite them from memory. They are classic rhyming poems. Another favorite book of mine is "Poetry for a Lifetime", a beautiful volume which includes a number of these poems, including "Plant a Tree" and "Home". It has a much larger number of poems and is illustrated and has comments from the editor. I highly recommend both books.

I read this book as a child 40 years ago. The poems in this book are timeless classics. I look forward to sharing them with my own children.

This was my Dad's poetry text at college in the thirties. Every Christmas during his life he would read the 'holiday' poems to our family. I have carried on the tradition for my children and grandchildren and each year they await the reading of 'Bairnies Coodle Doon' and 'Jes for Christmas', two wonderful stories that bring forward the lives of children of a hundred years ago. If tradition is important to you and if you want to introduce your family to poetry as America knew it for the first 200 years, this collection if highly recommended.

Roy J. Cook compiled his popular anthology in 1916, long before the Great Depression, WWII, the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Eighty Years of Bestsellers (1895-1975) by Hackett and Burke ranks Roy J. Cook's anthology among the fifty most popular books sold in the U.S. in the past century. One Hundred and One Famous Poems (or alternatively, 101 Famous Poems) has remained continuously in print.

Why is 101 Famous Poems still popular today? Cook's compilation is simply fun to read. Cook did include selections from great poets like Byron, Dickinson, Keats, Milton, Shakespeare, Shelley, Tennyson, Whitman, and Wordsworth. There are also popular poems by Frost, Kipling, Longfellow, Poe, Riley, and Whittier. However, what makes Cook's anthology special is that we find those lesser poems that we often memorized as a child and still find enjoyable years later.

I did not immediately recognize Lieut. Col. John McCrae, Henry Holcomb Bennett, Edmund Vance Cook, George Washington Doane, Eugene Field, Sam Walter Foss, William Ernest Henley, Mary Howitt, Sergeant Joyce Kilmer, Winifred M. Letts, Clement Clarke Moore, Thomas Buchanan Read, and Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

And yet, many of their poems proved not to be strangers: But let me live by the side of the road and be a friend of man - We shall not sleep though poppies grow in Flanders Field - A poem as lovely as a tree - Laugh and the world laughs with you - I am the captain of my soul - Will you walk into my parlor?, said the spider to the fly - and, of course, The Night Before Christmas. I was happy to find one of my old favorites, The Duel, a fascinating paradox by Eugene Field.

I don't really keep my old edition with its yellowing pages and old fashioned oval portraits next to my bed for nightly reading. Our family does not actually read the poems aloud before the fireplace after the evening meal. But through the years I do occasionally find myself reading once again all 101 poems, rediscovering poets and poetry that I have nearly forgotten. You won't be disappointed with Roy J. Cook's compilation.

One Hundred and One Famous Poems is a really good poetry book. I don't usually like poems that much, let alone reading, but I found at least 27 poems I liked. Some of the poems I really enjoyed were Whitman's "O" Captain my Captain, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The Builders, Eugene Field's The Duel and Edmund Vance Cooke's How did you die?

This book is an easy read and you may discover that you really enjoy poetry if you haven't read much poetry before. I read the book in five days, and that's not easy when you have ADD as bad as I do. The book is only one hundred and ninety-two pages and has large print making it easier to read. I thought the book was similar in some ways to Stephen King's book Night Shift; it's like a bunch of short stories except these are poems although I can't say I have ever read a poem that was six pages long until now.

The poems, the famous words spoken, the documents we once knew from school, from stories, from one another reciting on stage in plays are presented here in this little treasure. I forgot, and wanted to remember and here they are.......all together. But, not only the poets. There is the perfectly written letter to a mother who lost 5 sons in the Civil War from Abraham Lincoln, our American President then. And many other writings in history's place. A must have in everyone's library.

One of my favorite poem books. One of my favorite poems:

Laugh and the world laughs with you Weep, and you weep alone, For the sad old earth must borrow it's mirth But has enough trobles of its own Sing and the hills will answer Sigh, it is lost in the air Echos bound to a joyful sound But shrink from voicing care

you should read it...

hey reynold!

Years ago I read weekly from an elderly woman's poetry book to her and other residents at a nursing home. She and the other residents greatly enjoyed my poetry reading. I particularly relished THIS particular collection of poems because they were ones that I'd long ago heard/read/known. I absolutely "loved" the book.... but ALAS! I never took to memory the book's title, the book's owner died, and the book was packed off with her other things to a distant daughter. Searching through other poetry anthologies would reward me with SOME of those poems, seldom enough of them, and NEVER all of them. I looked through Amazon's poetry listing, hoping against hope. I ordered this book because its table of contents urged me to think MAYBE it would suffice. What a wonderful surprise to receive it and find out that it IS THE SAME WONDERFUL BOOK! (My only disappointment was that the original borrowed and shared copy was hardcover.) Anyway, I've enjoyed re-acquainting myself to what seems an "old and dear friend" in reading and re-reading this book.

If your thinking that this is another sister-girlfriend book,
let me be the first to tell you, Not!
All I Need is full of unexpected twists and turns that three friends experience in life.
With busy shedules they have to find time to catch up with
each other.
Each woman feels that their friend has a better life. But ahh, if they could only walk in each others shoes.
Jacquie Bamberg Moore is a Welcomed newcomer

"ALL I NEED" was an excellent read. It kept me glued to the book from beginning to end. I hated to put the book down! Anyone who has Close friends should read this. I would love to read a sequel. I really identified with this book. In fact, I bought the book for my closest girlfriend. It was great!

If true friendship is valuable to you, read this book! You will not only relate, but I'm pretty sure you will identify with one of the characters. It takes you on a drama filled journey of three sister friends who are unique in their lifestyles, personalities, and principles. While Umi, an educated business diva struggles with balancing her business matters and personal affairs, Randi, the can't say no to sex diva, gets herself into some hot water trying to juggle her multiple male relationships. On the other hand, Michelle the educated, stay at home diva has the privilege of making sure the home front is comfy for her husband and daughter, not knowing that her life is about to take a major turn.   
In the midst of managing their own life drama's, their friendship will not only be tested, but pushed to a new level.

"All I Need," is a wonderfully written novel. Michelle, Randi and Umi are three long-time friends, who have built a strong sister based relationship. These three women are very different and unique in themselves, but they share in their love for one another. Michelle is a housewife and who has spent years wrapped into being a wife and mother. Michelle starts looking at her friends lives and begin feeling emptiness inside, when suddenly a horrifying incident strikes and changes her life instantly. Randi who is a researcher for a major newspaper gets wrapped up in raging hormones, which backfires on her. Umi has an advertisement career and she feels high in the clouds. Umi only wanting an elite prestigious man, soon finds out that a man with money doesn't always bring happiness.

Jacquie is definitely on my list of great storytellers. This novel will have you laughing and crying, oooohing and awwwhing, happy and even outraged. The characterization is so vivid, you feel as though you know each one of them. You will feel their pain and share in their happiness as you walk through their lives with them. I suggest everyone pick up a copy of this wonderful novel. With writing skills like this and the ability to grab her audience at the very beginning and hold them so until the end, Jacquie Bamberg Moore will be in the Literary Arena for a long time to come.

This novel is about the friendship of Randi Michelle and Omi. Each one has something different to offer their long time friendship. Omi is the career women in the group - who finds out not all kings come with shining armour. Michelle is happy being a wife and mother until tragedy strikes sending her in the arms of a tabboo relationship - Randi bored with being a researcher for the New York Times seeks her satisfication in the office but not doing office work. All three of these women show us what it means to be a true friend and how to rise above the bad. This book is a must read for everyone looking to strengthen their relationship with someone close to them.

If wishes were horses, they'd be American Cream draft horses in Catherine Tudish's debut novel, American Cream. Evocative and beautifully written, American Cream is a gem of book that will draw you in and transport you as only a well-told story can.

Virginia McLeod has returned to the farm in southwestern Pennsylvania where she grew up. Her father Nathan, nearing 70, fell off the tractor and broke his arm; no milking cows or haying fields for him this summer. So Virginia packed up her teenage son, left her surgeon husband in Maryland, and headed back to the life she left as a young woman when she went off to college.

Virginia's mother Caroline died a couple of years ago, and now Nathan is married to Lydia, the woman who used to work in the school cafeteria. As the summer unfolds and her father recovers, Virginia grapples with her father's new life, reconnects with her best friend Henny, and faces her first true love, West.

Most of all, Virginia must confront her unacknowledged desire to keep the past alive, a hope that is embodied for her by American Cream horses. With white manes and cream-colored coats, they are smaller than some draft horses but smart, sweet tempered, and beautiful to see. They are at once a link to history, when plows were pulled by such horses, and a gambit for the future, that may or may not pay off.

American Cream captures life on the American family-owned farm--a hard way of life that is giving way to modern commerce and concerns--but it transcends place and could be the story of any woman's loves and losses. The writing is graceful, smooth as silk and light as real whipped cream. The narrative focuses on Virginia, but Tudish adopts the interesting convention of interspersing chapters here and there in the other characters' voices, a technique that is extremely effective. The result is both down-to-earth and literary, with characters that are completely human and utterly believable and themes that are as deep and rich as the western Pennsylvania soil.

American Cream is the kind of book where you get swept up into the lives of the characters and you miss them when you're done. I, for one, would love to hear more farmlands southeast of Pittsburgh. Happily, Tudish has also published a collection of short stories set in the same area, called Tenney's Landing. I also look forward to wherever Catherine Tudish takes us in the future.

The cream of the crop of 2007 novels. Tudish doesn't write about mammals or freaks but about "folks," and she has the ability to make readers care deeply about her people. The novel returns to "Tenney's Landing," scene of her stellar 2005 story collection TENNEY'S LANDING. The novel's heroine Virginia Rownd navigates through the thicket of the past in a return to roots and traditions that bind as well as fulfill. Tudish's crystal clear prose is unadorned yet elegant.

This book, as well as her earlier "Tenney's Landing" are profound in their use of quotidian situations explore profound human dilemmas. Terrific character development, the juxtaposition of the bucolic and the horrific and the hilarious and the poignant make her the most recent addition to my list of favorite writers

Tudish brings to vivid life a cast of endearing but slightly eccentric characters, each one with difficult choices to make. Although the book's country settings, chores, and folkways are described in loving detail, this is not a sentimental story. Bad things happen, people get hurt, and a way of life seems to be falling apart. Readers will root for Virginia, Tudish's plucky central character, who returns to her rural childhood home to confront all manner of social and family upheaval. Is this a tale of paradise lost or regained? Readers will have to decide for themselves. Enjoyable, thought provoking, and highly recommended.

These are just a few of the words I could use to describe this beautifully written story of return. If you're reading Catherine Tudish's work for the first time, you'll be astonished by what you discover. Welcome to her growing fanclub!

As others have mentioned, this latest print of the Apostolic Fathers is accessible, readable, and great as a tool for keeping up your koine. All of the standard works are included (1&2 Clement, the Shepherd, Barnabas, Martyrdom of Polycarp, the Didache, etc).

Reading the Fathers in the koine offers the reader extraordinary opportunities not only to gain an appreciation of the language, but also of the literary and vocabulary diversity of the various authors. The Greek print in this book is very clear and easy to follow. It's an outstanding reference work for patristic research, and is an affordable starting point in building a quality patristics library.

Holmes does a good job of addressing current patristic scholarship, though one wishes his engagement with it was more substantive than alternating between 'intriguing' and dismissively 'speculative'. In particular, Hill's recent work on Polycarp is commendably referred to by Holmes, but not as substantively as one might have hoped.

However, such wishes do not really detract from what this book gives us. This book keeps the focus on the actual patristic writings, rather than getting into the kind of scholarly back and forth that can take the focus off the writings themselves. The corpus given to us here is great stuff, and waters the mouth of the reader to delve further into the patristic history and engage the kind of scholarly works that Holmes cites. Highly recommended.

WARNING: Amazon has inexplicably conflated together reviews from several editions of this work. Be sure when comparing and contrasting you note carefully which edition is under review. Mine below is the latest green hardcover with gilt lettering pictured in the product description.

This handsomely-bound hardback edition truly has everything you could desire. Despite it's light weight and manageable size (5.25 x 7.5"), it is eminently readable, due to the clear Greek and English font and thin but high-quality opaque paper. This newest edition includes all the writings of the earlier Lightfoot edition: 1 & 2 Clement, Ignatius (7 letters), Polycarp (to the Philippians & Martyrdom), the Didache, Epistle of Barnabas, Sherpherd of Hermas, Epistle to Diognetus, and fragments of Quadratus & Papias, as well as updates to notes and translation. Great for those interested in early church history, quotations of canonical New Testament literature, or a chance to practice reading Koine Greek outside the N.T.

This book contains the works of the early church fathers who helped build the foundations of what would later become the worlds largest religion. The development of the church between the apostles and latter church fathers such as Augustine or Gregory of Nazianzus is often overlooked by those studying the early church. This collection focuses mainly upon writers that occurred within the first or second century after the apostles. The epistles and books range from the solid and orthodox works of Clement to the obscure and mystical Shepherd of Hermas. Many of these works were originally included in the canon of Scripture, and it is interesting when first exposed to them to try to discern why they didnt make the cut later in church history. Another interesting question that arises from these readings is whether or not the writers were inspired, and also how much of this teaching can we take as true and authoritative. A prevalent theme in some of the works is apostolic succession, a theory that the Catholic church later latched onto in order to justify many of its questionable actions. Other theological disputes are discussed such as the allegorical interpretation of the Scriptures or the meanings of visions of the final judgement. Overall the book presents several primary sources of early theological doctrines from one of the most important (but often overlooked) eras in the history of the church.

Kudos to Holmes and Baker House for giving us a hard cover of texts New Testament Greek learners need! Nothing else in koine Greek, besides maybe the LXX, is as helpful to NT Greek students because the vocabulary and the syntax of most the Apostolic Fathers is extremely similar to the NT. This means if you know the NT vocab, you can read large blocks of this text without having to look up words. Of course, having the English on facing sides is essential since we want to be able to check our translation and not have to refer to other books. Hermes and Didache in this book are probably EASIER than say the Gospel of John, so this book is helpful even to beginners, while other texts like Ignatius and 2 Clement provide some challenges for advanced students.
And the format of this book is near perfect. I panned the second edition simply because my paperback fell apart and was hard to hold open. This edition lays flat and feels great in your hand. It uses thin paper so the book is small and portable and yet the font size is still fairly large. The only thing I don't like about the third edition is that the font is a little smaller than the second edition, whose font was perfect, and this font is a little different, not quite as pleasing on the eye Also, the second edition had pure white paper whereas this edition is somewhat yellow. Still, you can't have everything. The font on this text is probably bigger and nice than say the Loeb Classical Library, and here you get all the texts in one volume which is only a little bit bigger than Loeb. This is a must have for NT Greekers!

I have only used small sections of this book so far but it is a fantastic resource. It contains up-to-date critical information about the texts themselves and any historical information about authorship, dating, etc. I did notice that the translator tends to make things gender inclusive that are definitely not so. I am generally in favor of this as many Greek words use masculine nouns to refer to a mixed gender grouping, but this translator translated gender specific words (such as aner)to include everyone. That makes the translations a little less useful for academic work. Nevertheless, it is an excellent resource for anyone with a working knowledge of Koine Greek and an interest in 1st and 2nd century Christianity.