Genres Books

This book was such a great read for me. It was such a page turner. I cried, smiled, laughed, rooted for Treva, wanted to kill her mother, wanted to hug her husband, and give praise to GOD all at once. My eyes were open and introduced me to things that were new or even things that I have been ignoring in my own life. I loved this book. You will not be disappointed in this purchased! It is a must that you add this to your book collection.

This book was suggested to me by an acquaintance at church. I am an avid reader of all the genres and I found this book to be an awesome read. It is as one reviewer stated, "inspiring, uplifting and energizing".

God's hand truly molded this book. After reading it I have started to use it as one of the many guides for my own personal bible study.

I recommended it to everyone, but especially to women and couples.

I belong to a christian book club. I began this book and found that I didnot like the main person at all (Treva). I disliked her to the point that I didn't want to continue reading. Being in the book club I had to read it. As time went on I began to feel so sorry for Treva. The book just got better and better. I didn't want to put it down and I also didn't want it to end. I go to weekly bible study at church but after reading the book, I now want to be in a bible study like the one in the book. If you only read one christian book this year, please make it Heavenly Places. I gave the book to my pastor to read! Everyone in my book club felt pretty much as I. They may have liked it for slightly different reasons but all agreeded that it is a must read book.

As someone who enjoys both bible study and fiction novels, "Heavenly Places" offered a winning combination that kept me wanting more.

The main character, Treva Langston, is beyond complex -- weak, strong, flawed, ideal, broken, whole. Whether you like her or not (at times I didn't), most women will surely relate to her on some level.

Meticulous character development, vivid settings, and intricately woven scripture all made me feel as though I had secretly crept into the world that Kimberly Cash Tate has created -- the proverbial fly on the wall.

If you're looking for a Christian novel that teaches, uplifts, inspires, strengthens and entertains without the forceful yoke of self-help and self-reflection, I would highly recommend "Heavenly Places".

You will be blessed by this novel.

Heavenly Places by Kimberly Cash Tate introduces an outwardly strong and confident African American woman, Treva Langston. We soon see that on the inside Treva is broken. That inside soon emerges when her family moves back to her hometown. Her hometown brings about memories of her childhood. Growing up she never felt like her mother loved her. Her husband assures her this is the best move but she has a hard time finding a job. Now she does not know what to do with her time and spending time with their three young daughters does not even cross her mind.

Treva's sister, Jillian, invites her to join in a bible study with a group of stay-at-home mothers. Treva at first refuses because she finds it hard to believe she no long has her high-powered job. Despite her hesitation, she joins in on the group and finds that this is exactly what she needs. The group helps her deal with being a better mother, wife, sister, and daughter.

Tate creates a great combination of a wonderful story and bible study. The main character seemed as if she would never come around. I found myself not liking her much. But as the story went on, Tate made sure that you understood Treva's point of view. You slowly began to love her and root for her to find that heavenly place. Entertaining, inspirational and abundantly filled with the truth of the Word, I definitely recommend this book for a pleasure read or even to read with your own bible study group.

Donnica Copeland
APOOO BookClub
Sista Talk Book Club

Very few books are as riveting as this satiric masterpiece. Through the mad romp of the book's hero Ric Browde through St Louis, While I'm Dead...Feed the Dog lampoons the sacred cows of American society - religion, the press, politicians and even rock and roll. A must read

While I'm Dead...Feed The Dog is a black comedy fiction work that is accompanied by an originally scored music CD Soundtrack featuring never before released material. Written by songwriter/music producer and eight time platinum and eleven time gold awards winner Ric Browde, the novel explores teenage angst, love & sex and rock 'n roll in the '70s. Browde, who has sold over twenty million albums has worked with such artists as Poison, Joan Jett and Ted Nugent. From narcoleptic nuns, nymphomaniacs, the Mafia, a huckster televangelist, dying Latin teachers, corrupt school administrators, inept policemen, unscrupulous lawyers, buffoon reporters, half -- witted rock and roll musicians, transsexual record company presidents, drug addicted disc jockeys, greedy family members and the lovely Nina Pennington, this novel is a must for anyone who lived or wanted to live in the '70s as a teenager.

Ric Thibault will emerge as the funniest most poignient ad insightful character in modern literature

It's not often that humor is so well done and, yet, makes points that are insightful without being preachy. Ric Browde is clearly intelligent and takes on religion, the media, law enforcement, relationships, the music biz and more in a satiric send up that is simply outstanding.

Ric is funny and you can't help but laugh. However, I was compelled to pay attention to the points being made because they were good ones. Through humor Ric gets you to think about things which is always good.

This is a good book with a soundtrack too. The song "I'm stupid and so are you" is hilarious and along with the rest of the CD that accompanies the book it highlights the story being told and makes you enjoy the process all the more.

I wish my teenage years had been as exciting as Ric Thibault's, the hero of this fantastically funny novel! This book is like a drug - once you start reading you're hooked... Hope there is more forthcoming from this new author.

This new edition of the best-selling Merry Christmas Songbook now comes with a companion 23-track CD!

The Merry Christmas Songbook is a collection of more than 100 Yuletide favorites, plus a lyric book. The 23-track CD will help you and your family enjoy the songs, create memories, and share the warmth and charm of this wondrous time of year. The convenient spiral binding enables the pages to lie flat when the book is open, and the songs are self-contained on one page or on facing pages to keep page-turning to a minimum. In addition, the songs are uniquely readable - when a song has more than two stanzas, a faint tint runs through each alternate line, making it easy to keep your eyes on the proper place when singing.

The companion CD contains such favorites as "Jingle Bells," "Deck the Halls," and "O Holy Night." The lyric book is perfect for those who love to gather around the piano or organ and sing along.

Titles: Silent Night * Away in a Manager * The First Noel * Blue Christmas * Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas * Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree * Frosty the Snowman * Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer * Here Comes Santa Claus * Let It Snow * Winter Wonderland * The Coventry Carol * Burgundian Carol * Buon Natale * Auld Lang Syne * What Are You Doing New Year's Eve * Ring Out, Wild Bells, and much, much more.

I am a piano teacher, and this is my favorite Christmas Songbook for intermediate players. I see on Amazon that there are sellers who are attempting to jack the price up of the older edition of this book. But the contents of the older edition are identical to the "new" Reader's Digest Merry Christmas Songbook , with CD, which Amazon sells for around $19. Do not pay $63.90 for a $19 book.

I can't believe they still print this book! My family has had it since probably the mid-80's, and I have been playing out of it ever since I could read music (about age 6). It has always been a joy. The music is definitely for experienced pianists, but be sure and read the "stories behind the songs" at the beginning of each section for some fascinating insight into your favorite Christmas songs. This book is a definite must for those who love playing and singing Christmas music.

This is the best collection of Christmas songs I have found. Spiral bound with hard cover. If you are looking for Christmas sheet music, look no further.

This collectin of classic and popular Christmas carols is truly wonderful. Not only is it at a level suit for an average piano player, the compositions of the songs are so enjoyable, and fun. This book is definetely worth the money! Have fun!

Indeed, All We Are Saying: The Last Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono pulls out the punches. The book shows how far former Beatle, John Lennon, had come and where he was headed. David Sheff's "Playboy" interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono is the most fascinating piece of oral history about Lennon's life as well as the story behind every Beatle song. Sheff intimately takes reader through the studio, John and Yoko's Dakota apartment, and down the neighborhood coffeeshop sharing a cappuccino. All We Are Saying presents an extremely candid and frank interview that was held two months prior to Lennon's passing. Sheff reveals Lennon's growth and new beginning that would unfortunately be cut short.

All We Are Saying does not lack in humor and seriousness. This was the man, not the Sixties icon who sang against a "Revolution," who still had dreams and aspirations to accomplish at the time the interview was conducted. For fans of Lennon as well as the Beatles, this was Lennon stripped down and open for questions, and he merely tells it like it is or was. He expresses the breakup of the Beatles, and emphasizes that they were great, but they were in the past. He talks about the ups and downs of his individual experience from being a heroin addict to a househusband. He was living in the here and now, and the music that he was making at the time reflected that mantra. Though the references he made about the music scene now appear dated, Lennon was ahead of his game and kept up with bands, such as the Clash, Pretenders, and the B-52's. He even raves how the B-52's rip-off Yoko's style of music.

Sheff writes the interview in clear and picturesque narrative. For every new chapter, he introduces the reader to where the interview is going. However, the concluding portions of the book appear too rushed. Sheff appears to have wanted to discuss or at least learn about every tidbit about each Beatles song, which almost portrayed a to-do list, and at times it appears as if he did not want to run out of tape. From the transcript of the interview, Lennon appears too tired to talk about each and every Beatle song as he answers with yes and no answers. For the most part, Lennon wanted to speak about his new album at the time, "Double Fantasy", and new projects he was planning.

All We Are Saying is an important document of the life of John Lennon. For Beatle and Lennon fans, the book is quite ironic and sad due to the circumstance, but that should not stop any one from learning more about one of the most legendary artists of the twentieth century.

This for me is better than any other book because it is reading the acutual words that John said. He gives his own first hand comments on each song (no guessing what each song was about -- he tells you). When he can't remember (it was the 60's after all) John will say so. The most important thing he says is "get interested in your own life" meant in the very kindest way John wants to remind us that we can identify with him, we can love him, but to please NOT make him to focus of your life -- YOU should be the focus of YOUR life. His insights to life can help you acchieve insights of your own. John rules! But I am thankful that he reminds us it is not important to memorize his height and weight or other "facts" but rather to LIVE the life we have -- as I wish he had the option to do. American must stop naming cruel people and making them famous if we do not want more useful people to be killed by those who have little human value -- of course that is only my take -- I can't rule YOUR thoughts (and for that you should be glad ha, ha).

Get the book if you are a Beatles or John Lennon fan... ;-)

INCLUDES AN AMAZING SERIES OF QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS, THAT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN! I WAS SURPRISED AT SOME OF JOHN'S ANSWERS; BUT IT DID MAKE SENSE COMING FROM HIM. I WON'T SPOIL IT FOR EVERYONE....SO EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A DIE HARD LENNON FAN, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED BY THIS FUNNY AND TOUCHING PIECE OF WORK...JUST BEAUTIFUL!

John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono give an excellent interview by pulling out all stops. Sheff's interview in "Playboy" with the pair is a vital oral history about the former Beatle's life and his insight on each Beatle song. Sheff takes readers on a Magical Mystery Tour through the recording studio; the Dakota and in and around the neighborhood. The interview is candid and direct; readers are given a clear look of and at John and Yoko.

John is shown, warts and all in real, living color. He is not glamorized nor vilified; he is presented as the man that he was. John Lennon was many things to many people; Sixties icon; musician extraordinaire; artist; spouse; father; author; actor; joker; interviewee; "militant pacifist," an oxymoronic term. John was a very complex man and this Rubik's cube of a book puts the pieces together in such a way that readers can readily assemble their image of John Lennon.

John makes no bones abut the Beatles being part of his past; he appears to want to move further down the Long & Winding Road without further Hard Day's Nights in re his Beatle history. It was also interesting to learn what groups and artists John liked and how he felt they influenced him.

Hats off to Sheff for introducing readers to each person in the interview. If there is one literary pitfall to avoid, it is never, repeat, never spring characters or real people onto readers without introducing them. That weakens a work and Sheff is quite adept at dodging this trap.

John appeared to be moving at a quicker pace in this interview; whereas Sheff wanted to discuss the Beatles more in depth, John gave one word answers to Beatle related questions and seemed eager to discuss his 1980 album, "Double Fantasy" as well as works he was planning after that.

This is a bittersweet book for Beatle and Lennon fans because of John's untimely death in late 1980. Even so, the book remains an excellent source of information about the man who founded the World's Number One Band, the Beatles and the man who made the world listen.

Listen to John Lennon.

My favorite Lennon quote comes not from this book, but from the Beatle's set during the Royal Variety Performance for the British Royal Family in 1963: "Will the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewelry." I love that, though I've been told you need to be raised in the British class-consciousness to fully appreciate the insolence of that.


I grabbed this book just out of curiosity, as a Beatles fan and a Lennon fan in particular. I read in a review that Lennon goes through the whole catalog of Beatles songs and comments on them. I thought that would be interesting to read. Yoko Ono was the least of my concerns, but they were and are a package deal. I bought into the popular cultural conception of Yoko as the villainess who broke up the Beatles. So the first thing that struck me, reading these interviews, is what an intelligent, sympathetic, and likeable figure she is, when heard in her own words, in the comforts of her home base. And the two of them together actually seem like a nice, well-matched couple, decent people who- against the odds- had found contentment amid the surreal circumstances of their lives. No doubt that they are eccentric in some ways, and some of their philosophizing has that post-Hippie, flaky, dated feel, as you might expect. They are artists after all. But at the same time, they surprised me at times at how level-headed they came off. Despite the near deification of the Beatles, it is John who continuously reminds us that they were just a rock and roll band that was in the right place at the right time and wrote some good songs. And they are able to honestly talk about the strain on their relationship caused by their celebrity. With all the typical defiant talk about letting people think whatever they are going to think, Yoko admits to the heartache of bad press: "It's a very strange thing that society can do that much to a relationship, but it does because we're social animals. We're social beings. A relationship is not isolated from society." "Society can break an individual. That is what happened." John, too, often displays the vulnerability buried within the armor of the iconoclast: "We're both sensitive people and we were both hurt by a lot of it." Enough time has passed for them to analyze the hostility garnered by Yoko, as a woman, when she began managing John's business affairs. John talks about the attitude towards Yoko at these meetings where she was the only woman, "They're all male, you know, just big and fat, vodka lunch, shouting males, like trained dogs, trained to attack all the time." Yoko is wonderful, chiming in with "I was emasculated." Then launching into her formulation of male aggressiveness, "you must have the womb-envy thing," she speculates. Men are aggressive to mask their intimidation and jealousy. After all, she notes, "we give life."

The most valuable part of this book, in which John systematically goes through almost every Beatles and solo Lennon song, is a concession John granted after blowing Playboy's scoop by giving an interview to Newsweek magazine. We get John's feelings about each of the songs as well as the memories triggered by them, what was going on in that period of his life and how they were written. Though John continues with the superficial model of `John songs' and `Paul songs,' we see that the truth is more complicated, they wrote the best of the Beatles "one-on-one, eyeball to eyeball... both playing into each other's noses." We see why they were great together (and why George and Ringo are two very lucky men to have been along for the ride) and why neither of them, as solo musicians, could produce songs that measure up well to the Beatles. There are several examples of the two of them contributing little touches to each others songs, the little shadings that profoundly deepen the work. Without Paul, John was mostly a writer of catchy tunes, superficial fluff with great hooks. Some of Paul's solo works come close to the best of the Beatles, but for the most part, he was missing the nuances- the melodies and tenderness- of Paul's sound. A song like "Michele" is a perfect example. Paul wrote a pretty little love ballad. John heard it shortly after hearing Nina Simone sing the blues, and he suggested the bluesy "I love you, I love you, I love you," bridge. Paul writes "It's getting better all the time," and John adds "it couldn't get much worse." Paul writes "We can work it out" and John adds "Life is very short..." Or conversely, John writes about "A Day in the Life," about a man violently killing himself, and Paul adds the sweetest little lick to ever float into a song from nowhere: "I'd love to turn you on." And so on. I particularly recommend this section as a morning commute read, riding the train with Ipod in hand, keeping the songs in your ears as you read John's analysis of them.

Of course, one can't read these interviews without being constantly reminded that John was assassinated just months afterwards. It gave me chills to read some of John's philosophizing in that light, "Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King are great examples of fantastic nonviolents who died violently. I can never work that out. We're pacifists, but I'm not sure what it means when you're such a pacifist that you get shot."

And the heartbreak is palpable when reading of the pride John took in stepping out of the action and becoming a full time father to Sean. "Here we are: I'm going to be forty, Sean's going to be five. Isn't it great! We survived!"

Great book! I thought it would be mainly pictures, but it's very well written with lots of great trivia.

once youve read one story you have got to read them all, they go into detail about john and paul and its just great. theres stories for just about everything.

the pictures are clear and amazing, most, if not all of them you cannot find on the internet, this book is gigantic, almost the size of text books, which makes the pictures even more amazing.

you are not a beatles fan unless you have this book.

Yes you have heard the stories before, and you have even seen most of the picutres, but the way they have been put together still makes it worth while. It's like having all MOJO articles on the fabs in one book, and hey! maybe it's exactly what it is? They should have called it Chronology!

This book is simply a delight that will hopefully introduce the nowadays young generation to the Beatles' unparalleled social and musical impact they have had on the world. I have always believed that the Beatles have set new standards in music as they imposed themselves as cultural icons in the sixties. I bet any Beatles fan would be joyful over the arrival of this book. I spent hours reading it, watching its photos, lovingly turning each page, smiling, laughing or weeping over so many previously unseen fantastic photos and background information to some of their songs and albums. I have many Beatle books at home but this one beats all of them in the detailed information provided, style and text. Some of the photos have never been released before. Besides, the material is extensive and professionally ellaborated. This book is a great work and I recommend it especially for the Beatle fans and connaisseurs. I'm sure everyone will love this book. The minute this book has been published, the timeless and greatest band of all times - The Beatles - are shocking the world, again!

This book is gorgeous in it's lay out and presentation. The articles are arranged in a magazine style format with a very imaginative what?,where?.when?, tag at the top of each article. I must say that some of these articles were written by some of the best Beatles writers and authorities in the world like,Hunter Davies,Barry Miles, Mark Lewisohn, and Ian Macdonald, to name but a few. However, some seem to be written by MOJO staff writers who's knowledge of the Beatles would fit in a thimble. These particular authors had to relie on previously written books to assimilate their info.,so for the M.B.E. ceremony you get that stupid story about the boys smoking a joint in the palace bathroom before meeting the queen. (probably taken from Lennon Remembers which should have been retitled,Lennon is Angry this Week and Wants to Make Up a Bunch of Shock Stories.) A few of these ridiculous Beatles folk lore tales are retold in this book because the young staff writers at MOJO simply didn't know better. Seriously,with the drug penalties of 1965, would the boys have risked their entire career and reputation for a spliff in the QUEEN'S bathroom?
I did love the record reviews of each album, complete with vintage music reviews and commentary from Beatle fans in the music biz. Unfortunately the reviews of the earlier albums were given to those young staff writters again,(and they wouldn't know a Beatles album from a Cowsills album apparently.) It would have been nice if the reviewer for Beatles for Sale had taken the time to find out who is singing on Kansas City,instead of saying, "And WHOEVER is singing on Kansas City sounds great." Why were people like this allowed to write in the first place?
Also some of the picture captions are wrong. One of John and Paul is off by 3 years! (ouch) If I sound annoyingly anal,it's because I am anal when it comes to the Beatles. I've studied and read everything about them and because of this,I'm finding that I seem to know more than a lot of people who are making money writing about them. I always want to fix the many mistakes I find, and they are in every book except the ones by real experts like the fine writers I mentioned before.
Don't misunderstand, the wonderful things in this book far outweigh the anoying mistakes. In fact Ten Years... reminds me of the Beatles Anthology so it is definetly one of those must haves for the library. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous and almost all of them rare. The articles are facinating because they don't just retell the same story but they dig deeper,revealing unknown facts. They are written in a way that makes them seem fresh.
Also I really enjoyed the contributions from famous Beatles photographers with some of their most beautiful photos of the boys, and interesting anecdotes about working with them. You'll find everything here; the music,the mania,the private lives,and the personalities of the four who did indeed shake the world and changed our culture forever.

Since I named my son Graham after Bill, I thought perhaps I should know a little bit more about his life. I now now know alot more!

It is written in a narative style which makes it very easy to read. The stories are told by the people who were there, some happy, some sad ,some very funny.

If you are interested in the life of this man or even the history of modern day Rock and Roll Concert Production, how it started and evolved, I highly recomend this book.

This book is a little weird (to me) in concept but it works out really well in the end. The book goes from Bill's early days in Nazi Germany all the way to his death with no major stone left unturned. Lots of great stories with very little in the way of punches being pulled. I mean Bill really tells you what he is thinking. Very uncensored. Covers the drugs and the behind scenes stuff with no BS involved. Shows the guy for who he was, warts and all and lets him and the people he is talking about retort one another which I thought was weird in a good way. This book is of great interest to anyone who has probably gotten to this point in reading reviews. If you are interested in this type of subject then this book is a must.

It's a good insight into the rock scene back in the 60's and 70's. A must read for anyone who likes classic rock.

i didn't realize how much bill graham did behind the scenes.
montery pop ,woodstock, altamont,ect............

This book is structured so that as Bill Graham comments on different times of his life, he allows the persons hes speaking of to comment in the next paragraph. This makes for some very interesting reading. Grham discusses his time in Korea and killing the enemy. This experience allows him to have an abundant amount of courage when it comes to dealing with band managers in the future. Bill discusses Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Zeppelin, the Stones, J Geils Band, Santana, the Who and all the tense dealings with each of these personalities. This book could have benefitted from better pictures of the bands. Thats my only critical comment.

#2 in the Bodyguard series is even funnier than the first. Natasha is on her own this time, hired to guard a show dog named Chumley, who is so obnoxious he's cute, while trying to figure out who is threatening the dog's life. In her usual overzealous way, Natasha manages to get herself into some wacky situations. The chapter with the massage parlor involving Natasha, Pit and Bigun was so funny, I had to put the book down I was laughing so hard.

There's plenty of romance between Natasha and Striker, with the usual cast of quirky characters surrounding Natasha. Roger and Stevie aren't given much space in this book, and I hope to see more of them in future books.

A really fun, well-written series. I look forward to the next one.

I READ ALOT MORE OF THIS BOOK THAN I WANTED TO, DUE TO THE GLOWING REVIEWS...BUT IT NEVER GOT ANY BETTER. THERE'S NO DEPTH TO THE CHARACTERS AND A WASTE OF 3+ HOURS SPENT READING.

[...]

The Bodyguard and the Show Dog is Christy Tillery French's second installment in her Bodyguard series. By some bizarre cosmic twist, I am reading this series in reverse order. Fortunately, Ms. French's stories each stand on their own, and I am able to thoroughly enjoy this book on its own merits. Hang on for a wild ride!

This book is a fast and fun continuation (in either direction!) of the zany, madcap, e-ticket adventures of protection specialist Natasha Chamberlain, a diminutive, clumsy, danger-prone, feisty, gun-toting, southern girl from Tennessee. This time, Natasha has been hired to protect Chumley, a spoiled, stinky, sex-crazed champion show dog. The scene is impeccably set for the wacky situations that Natasha is (in)famous for, and Ms. French delivers on every page.

Although The Bodyguard and the Show Dog is humorous, breezy, summer fun, Ms. French's characters also deal some difficult topics, including animal abuse, with fitting vigilantly justice satisfyingly meted out in true Natasha fashion. Natasha has a strong, well defined moral character, and she always stands up for anyone who cannot stand up for themselves. She delivers apt punishments and has her own special way of dealing with the worst offenders.

This book is truly a wild ride, well written, fasted paced, and very, very funny. The characters are endearing, the situations are hilarious, and the love making is hot. What more could you want? I can't think of a thing.

Hands up everyone who ever fell for a smelly little dog ... or for a hectic, independent heroine with poor impulse control ... or for a handsome hunk of a man not afraid of anything but being too much in love. Anyone left out there? How about a bunch of crazy friends and relatives and an adventure with the energy of a skyrocket?

Oh yes, there's something for everyone in The Bodyguard and the Show Dog (Bodyguard). This is the second book in author Christy Tillery French's BODYGUARD series and it's a wonderful rollicking ride. Natasha Chamberlain is determined to pursue her chosen career -- protection specialist -- in spite of her boyfriend Jonce's objections. When Myrtle Galbreath hires Nattie to protect her prize pug, Chumley, it ought to be simple, right? Then why does Nattie wind up in the Emergency Department so often? Why are people shooting at her? What, for that matter, is Nattie doing hanging around biker bars and massage parlors, and driving around with bags of horse manure? And the big question: how does she get anything done at all with her interfering mother and grandmother on her heels and Jonce's heavyweight employees trying to protect her?

For all the laugh-out-loud action and dialogue, there are some serious elements to the story. Nattie's a thoroughly modern young woman and she wrestles with her need for independence. When Nattie and Jonce are together the sparks fly, and she worries about being drawn into his orbit and losing herself. Jonce, on the other hand, struggles with his urge to protect her from her own decisions. These problems play out in an entertaining "show, don't tell" fashion thanks to the effective character portrayal.

Christy Tillery French is strongly committed to the humane treatment of animals, and this theme is also played out poignantly in Show Dog. Don't be fooled by the fact that Chumley's got his papers -- there are plenty of animals that need rescuing and Nattie does her best for them all.

Just by chance I'm working my way backward through this series of three BODYGUARD books. I just hope that by the time I finish the first installment, there will be a new set of Nattie's adventures for my enjoyment. Don't miss out! Get your hands on these books and enjoy the fun.

Linda Bulger, 2008

"The Bodyguard and the Show Dog" by Christy French is a book that will entertain the reader for hours on end. The characters are easy to relate to and the plot (like most of Ms. French's stories) will leave the reader eager to read the next book in the series.

I am a huge fan and truly enjoy all of Ms. French's books. If you have not had a chance to sample any of her stories then this is the perfect book to begin with. You will quickly become a fan too!

I meant to post a review of this book when it first came out but I have been on location in France and haven't had the chance to get it done until now. For this Ms. French, I'm sorry. Better late than never, I suppose.

I enjoyed your new book very much! Keep them coming.

John Savoy
International Film Maker
California

I purchased this book for my upcoming birthday, it is simply a beautiful book. You can see the great care put into making this book, from the pictures to the little insights. I have always loved Celine, for both her outstanding vocal abilities and her unwavering faith in love. This book is very touching, it brings the Dion Family, Rene, and little Rene Charles to life. This book contains lovely candid photos, one of my favorites is of her wedding, not the photo we usually see with Celine dressed formally to the nines, but one with her in a rather plain frock, and in Rene's arms as he carries her over the threshold, both with happy wide smiles. I would also suggest purchasing "My Story, My Dream", having read both myself it makes for a complete read.

OMG i LOVED this book. I couldn't put it down once i received it. It really brings her life together with all of the photos, scripts, letters etc. It is most definately a must read.

I consider myself a die-hard Celine Dion fan ever since hearing her French-language Incognito (1987) album. I own all of her French-language recordings (including out-of-print LPs and singles from 1981-1988), have watched her early French music videos and numerous French-language biographies and TV specials, and have read her official MY STORY, MY DREAM. biography several times.

When I saw Celine Dion: For Keeps, I bought it to round out my collection, erroneously thinking that when it came to Celine's early years in Quebec, I'd seen / heard it all. Not so.

Background

Similar to The Sinatra Treasures: Intimate Photos, Mementos, and Music from the Sinatra Family Collection, Celine Dion: For Keeps features rare photos and removable reproductions of important documents from Celine's career and personal life, such as an early Quebecois report card, the handwritten sheet music to her audition song Ce n'etait qu'un reve (written by her mother), tour schedules, Grammy nomination letters, and even a copy of Celine's ultrasound (translations are provided for all French documents).

There are recollections that I'd never heard before, such as Celine touring the mall circuit in Quebec during her earliest years as a fledgling artist, and many remembrances from acquaintances, fellow celebrities, and music personalities. This combined the appeal of a text-only biography with multimedia; my only wish would have been for a CD with rare / unreleased performances as was done with the Sinatra Treasures collection.

This book of hers shines really brightly & is a must buy book one of the best of 2006 in the top 5. George

This amazing book offers a detailed overview of Celine's life in the spot lights. It has removable documents and photos from celine's personal archives.

The great thing is that it seems like a very honest book, even discussing her insecurities and the difficult times in her personal and professional life.

The book is quite big and heavy, so not for traveling, but ideal for reading on a lazy sunday afternoon.

Absolutely recomended for everyone who is interested in Celine's music and her life.

This book gives you all the lyrics to his songs and there are pictures and paragraphs about them.

"The Doors: The Illustrated History" is the best photographic, visual book record of the band. Compiled by Doors manager Danny Sugerman, it is a fascinating, visually rich and enjoyable display of a band that changed rock music and the amount of praise (and criticsm) they inspired. The pictures are great, they are clear, close and informative and clearly show how Jim Morrison created the theatrical aspects we so see so often in today's rock music. We also get different shots of the man, as the wild, leather-clad Lizard King and as a lonely, quiet poet. The articles and reviews are fascinating because they take us back to a time and place, but they are also surprising to read when compared to what is written today about certain rock artists. In one article dealing with the New Haven arrest where Morrison became the first rock performer to be arrested at a concert, the writer calls the music of The Doors "satanic, sensual and demented." A sign of what was to come with artists like Iggy Pop, Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper and many others. Some of the reviews are especially well-written, like one where the writer says the Doors music evokes images like the eye-ball slashing in Luis Bunuel's "Un Chien Andalou." Like the music, the images are timeless, and evoke a poetic, deep persona who's presence is ever so strong in rock. Like The Beatles, The Doors are an unforgettable force, you hear them once and never forget. The foreward by Jerry Hopkins, who wrote "No One Here Gets Out Alive," is also informative and has interesting things to say about the resurgence of Doors music. This is a must for any Doors fanatic and anyone who has ever been touched by the music and words.

I'm somewhat of a new Doors fan, particularly of Jim Morrison. The hair and the pout drew me in first, then the music followed. When I found this book, I knew I had to own it. I was not at all disappointed. Sugerman has done a fantastic job of compiling the hundereds of pictures and newspaper/magazine articles from over the years into this informative collection. The progression over the years of Morrison's rise to fame and eventual downfall into drugs and self-desctruction is adeptly demonstrated. A must-have for any Doors fan.

Danny Sugerman is someone in the Doors "family" that alot of people don't think very highly of. He has made a pretty good living out of Jim Morrison's death and continues to this day to fuel the many myths he helped create with his contribution to "No One Here Gets Out Alive". But if it weren't for Danny.....The Doors would not be selling so many records or books or anything on Morrison. Danny has helped keep "The Myth" alive. This is why The Doors are so popular today. Having said that, no single person worked harder to keep the Doors name alive in the 80's than he did- for that I respect Danny.

This amazing compilation of cuttings, reviews, photographs and articles was collected by a young Danny during the height of The Doors success whilst working as Jim's assistant-answering Jim's fan mail.

Beginning with the bands first forays onto the LA gig circuit the fledgling Doors took the rock press by storm with their doom laden sound and extremely smart lyrical imagery. From the Whisky to Miami via the Singer Bowl and New Haven we travel along on the dark journey to oblivion that was the Doors turbulent and sadly short career as seen through the eyes of the press and a young teenage kid. As it happened live and uncut.

I absolutely love this book. The introduction and the photographs are worth the price alone. This book has the lyrics to all your favorite Doors songs plus poetry (lyrics) from Jim Morrisons' spoken word album "An American Prayer." It has also got interviews and a behind the scenes look at what went on during some of the recording sessions as well as definitions as to just what Jim meant in some of their songs. The discussion about the meaning of The End is great. This book is a must for Doors fans from the most ardent to the just curious. The book is not one that will be looked at once or twice and put on a shelf. It is a facinating read no matter how many times you read it. The Doors: The Complete Lyrics increased my respect and admiration for the band, and Jim in particular, 1000 fold.

This book is subtitled "An Extravagant Life," and is available in hardcover. Laurence Bergreen also wrote "Louis Armstrong: An Extrodinary Life" Unfortunately I got the impression that Mr. Bergreen became a little disillusioned with his subject. He glosses over Armstrong's flaws. For instance, Bergreen seems to accept Louis' infidelities were the result of bad advice about women he received in his adolescence! His relationship and treatment of his mentor Joe Oliver is also rather quickly dismissed. I wish more time was spent on these parts of Armstrong's life. I can't fault the research and musical analysis, though.

This was one of the best biographies I have ever read. By far the best one of the life of Louis Armstrong. It took me only 2 days to read this book, I could hardly put it down. Not being much of a fan of Dixieland, New Orleans Jazz, etc...after reading this book I was hooked. I wanted to listen to every Louis recording available. Bergreen paints Armstrong as such an amazing character which he completely was. Even if you aren't a jazz fan this is just a great book about a great man.

You get not only a bio of a great musician & person, you get a detailed description how Blacks lived New Orleans through the turn of the century. From it you get a better understanding of how the pre-recording (and therefore unrecorded) sounds of untutored musicians became the roots of the New Orleans musical genre and how the odds were stacked against Louis. You come to understand his workaholism and his deference to his eventual agent, who probably exploited him.

As the book progresses, the historical descriptions are not as detailed but you feel the music and the person developing. Ironically, the two best known pieces "Hello Dolly" & "It's a Wonderful World", were late stage, not representative, but somehow routine work for the prolific Louis.

It's hard to imagine from the impoverished roots, the raw deals and the omnipresent daily racism (even to his death in 1971 segregation both de facto and Jim Crow continued), how Louis kept his optimism and exhuberance. It was not self deceptive, when the chips were down, he supported the Brown v Board of Ed decision, not just in his heart, but words and actions.

He was an unfaithful lover and husband. We don't know if he ever promised otherwise... all his wives but the first (who was common law married) knew he was a married man when they started "dating" him. The world owes Mrs. Armstong the 2nd (Lil) a debt. She gave him confidence and a platform to be the star he became.

In the Acknowledgments the author says this is the first bio he's written where his admiration for his subject grows.

Louis Armstrong blazed a trail. He was a tough cat, much tougher than all the supposedly macho dudes who posture now. He doesn't have to posture because he's dealt with the mob and prostitutes who slash with the knifes in their shoes, and somehow reminds us, that despite all this, it's a wonderful world.

This book was amazingly well written! It wonderfuly portrays the life of a very talented and amzing man. Please, for your own sake, read this book!

I believe I've read them all and nothing ever written about Louis Armstrong is as detailed as this book. Moreso than the "tired old stories" you see repeated in version after version of other tales of Armstrong, this one actually delves into the personal life as well as the persona of the man. Every Armstong fan needs to read this book - it's an awakening!