Contemporary Books

The book is definitely an intriguing tale of what goes on in the world of NASCAR. You do not have to be a fan of racing to enjoy it either. The book has mystery, suspense and romance all in one. Beau & Celeste (a/k/a CeCe) make a wonderful pair and their story is definitely filled with sexual tension and sparks. You'll enjoy reading about the secondary characters as well. Definitely do not hesitate to read this book! It was my first by this author, but definitely will not be my last.

I received my item way before the due date. It was literally a few days after I put in the order.

Never a dull moment! While reading "Killer Curves" I was constantly enthralled in both the mystery and the love story. The leading couple, Beau and Celeste, maintained a fun flirtation that quickly grew to passionate and tender devotion.


Celeste is shocked when famous NASCAR driver, Beau Lansing, shows up in her town. She knows a secret that very few others know. This owner of the company Beau drives for, Travis Chastaine, is her biological father. She spent her childhood being raised as the daughter of a ruthless politician. She fears that if the secret comes out, his career in politics will be ruined.

Beau has a desperate need for Celeste's help. Travis has been like a father to him for nearly 20 years. Celeste is Travis's only living blood relative. Travis needs a kidney transplant to save his life. Beau has hunted Celeste down and will now use any means necessary to get her to meet her real dad in hopes that she will agree to being the donor.

Celeste agrees to go meet Travis under the condition that no one will know her real identity. Celeste and Beau create a false name for her. She is now "Cece", the new sponsor liaison for Chastaine Motorsports. She will spend the next few weeks getting to know her real dad before she decides if she will go under the knife for him.

Bad luck has been following Beau onto the race track for months. His car has been seriously malfunctioning, causing Beau to crash at high speed. He is beginning to believe someone is sabotaging his car. With so many accidents, Chastaine Motorsports could lose their major sponsor. Who would want to take Beau out of the game badly enough to risk his death?

Celeste is sure someone has discovered her true identity. She receives threats that warn her to leave the Chastaine company. Beau plans to keep Celeste close until they discover who is trying to get rid of her. Many possibilities are present: A jealous ex-girlfriend of Beau's? A crazed and jealous fan? Celeste's ex- fiance?

Celeste has never known excitement like she has been experiencing in the racing world. She finds herself wondering if this is the life she was truly meant for. After 3 failed marriage engagements to rich and prominent men of upper class society, she is shocked to discover that Beau just might be the man of her dreams. When Beau begins to realize how much Celeste means to him, he becomes determined to keep her safe from the person who is stocking her. Yet he can't forget his first responsibility: To convince Celeste to donate the kidney that could save Travis. Time is running out for all three of them.



What was really great about this story was the fact that Roxanne St. Claire managed to keep a mystery plot fresh and a love story endearing at the same time. She never moved too far away from the growing relationship between Beau and Celeste. Yet she didn't let the thrill of danger lag either. Terrific writing! I'm crossing my fingers for a sequel.



If you enjoy Roxanne St. Claire's writing, you will love her Bullet catchers series:
Kill Me Twice (The Bullet Catchers, Book 1)
Thrill Me to Death (The Bullet Catchers, Book 2)
Take Me Tonight (The Bullet Catchers, Book 3)

Another St. Claire favoite:
French Twist

If you enjoy fast- paced contemporary romance, I also suggest Pamela Clare's new series:
Extreme Exposure
Hard Evidence

This was a very quick read and I couldn't wait to get to the end. I am a HUGE NASCAR fan and the book I felt was accurate as far as NASCAR went. It was a good mystery and love story. Can't wait to read more from her!

He's fast. She's furious. They're in for the ride of their lives. If you are into NASCAR and want to get a glimpse of the real "behind the scenes", this is your story. The ending is a little rushed and the "bad guy" isn't hard to figure out, but the overall story is a good read.

Given to me to read by a friend, I could not put it down. Very few books outside the Catcher & The Rye have ever pulled off the first person narrative so well. I am giving this out to all of my brothers & sisters (7 of them) for Christmas.

I've purchased this book 4 times. The first time I bought it, I was browsing in a bookstore. I'd never heard of Christopher Moore before. Initially, the cover caught my attention. Then, I read the title and knew I had to buy it. (I have a sorta twisted sense of humor.)

By page 10, I had gone out to buy the book a second time for my Dad (He's twisted too - I got it honestly). This book is LAUGH-OUT-LOUD funny. Imagine someone on the bus reading what looks like the bible - laughing involuntarily as they read. I'm sure many dirty looks and prayers were sent my way on those days.

I finished Lamb, and gifted my previously read copy to my uncle - which gave me an excuse to buy a fresh new copy to read again. Then, I bought a fourth to have in reserve just in case I come across someone else to give it to - or keep for myself in mint condition (don't you just LOVE gilded pages?).

I won't write about the plot, characters or details of the book - I hate spoilers. All I will say is that this was the best book I have read in a long time. The subject matter, storyline, and Moore's writing style all culminate in a great reading experience. I have made it a point to read all of his other novels.

A first timer of Moore, I got this when I read the first few chapters while at a friend's house. I tell you, the opening paragraph is all you need to become hooked.

Moore's work is painstaikingly true-to-earth, making Jesus [Joshua] a more human-esque, loveable and a believable saviour then anything I've ever read. Biff, his childhood friend, is the classic sidekick, but with more originality then a beta fish. [Try and make sense of that one] Overall, Moore's work is a stunning, beautiful, well-crafted piece of literature that everyone should get.

Especially when it's a book that looks as nice as this one!

I absolutely laughed till I cried. It all makes sense now... This is a must read for anyone who has ever taken religion tooooooo seriously.

This book is easily in my top 5 favorite books. I might even say it's #1.

When I laughed out loud at the first page... I knew I was going to love this book. I could totally see everything in the book unfolding back in the day.

Some people didn't like the ending, and I must admit I was a little surprised... but when I thought for a minute, 'I got it' and it was the perfect ending.

Definitely a conversation starter... definitely a keeper for rereading over & over again.

Zane Mackenzie is everything you want to see in a Navy SEAL -
Dang! but he is hot!
Finally we get a young woman that is worthy of the hero.

Barrie Lovejoy takes the only out to driving away the emotional and physical trauma she was subjected to in her kidnapping.

Zane Mackenzie, in the tradition of his father and brothers is man enough and sensitive enough to deal with Barrie.

When Zane is wounded in portecting Barrie, she becomes distaught at being forced to leave Zane behind without knowing if he would live.

I loved finding about Wolf and his family, especially Michael and Josh [why don't they have stories of their own?] Poor Joe, 5 sons and no daughter. It took Barrie and Zane to pull a fast one.

There is just something about these Mackenzie men that puts your hormones on red alert. We need more of these guys and more women like Barrie.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED -- definitely all are keepers - what a collection of men.

Linda Howard loves to minimize her female characters into nothing more then sex objects. All of her female main characters are virgins. Quite frankly I am sick of reading about how super important that really is. All of her female characters make love for the first time like insatiable beasts ignoring their physical response to having been made love to for the first time. These characters are so fake and I am really getting sick of them. This novel really hit the bottom because her virgin girls theme I have just described to you, that has been a consistent theme in all of her other books in the Mackenzie line repeated the same ridiculous line. Why can't someone write about a beautiful woman who isn't a virgin and who really does enjoy sex for sex...without having to write an erotica?

Another satisfying story about a MacKenzie brother. I enjoyed every word. And Barrie was a good match for Zane. Linda Howard is a master story teller.

I also like Beverly Barton but didn't care as much for Defending His Own as I have some of her other books. Secret baby stories bore me so that's probably the reason. Also, I don't much care for stories where something happens to a character as a teen and he/she holds it against the world forever. Good grief! We all grow and mature. Some of these people never do. Along with the secret baby, this is an over-used and unnecessary plot device. It creaks.

Another MacKenzie that I fell in love with! I read the story in one sitting. I just could not put the book down. Zane is so intense and sweet and sexy! Wow! The anecdotes about Nick are so wonderful. Makes me want to have a Nick of my own. I'd love to read her story when she's all grown up.

Having read SARAH'S CHILD, I was not too impressed. Having read DUNCAN'S BRIDE worked much better, but while it was a good read, it was not an outstanding read. Several review sites recommended MACKENZIE'S MOUNTAIN, but I never bothered to find a copy. In December 2005, I stumbled across this book (MACKENZIE'S PLEASURE), which is the story of Zane Mackenzie, the youngest son of Wolf Mackenzie and his wife Mary Elizabeth (hero and heroine of Mackenzie's Mountain). I have mixed feelings about SEAL-themed books - while I have loved Brockmann's series, I somehow prefer reading about firemen to reading about SEALS. Give this book a chance, if you share my hesitations.

Zane Mackenzie is called upon to execute a mission to rescue an ambassador's kidnapped daughter Barrie Lovejoy out of Libya. The first third of the book is about how the rescue takes place and with what consequences. In the second third, Zane and Barrie are separated by circumstances until they manage to find each other. Since there is a mystery and a bit of romantic suspense to the plot, I will not go further with the plot summary. It is probably sufficient to say that Barrie's kidnapping and rescue is somewhat more complicated than either Zane or Barrie realized.

The book begins with Wolf Mackenzie worrying about his children, from Joe down to his adopted son Chance and his youngest son Zane. Thus, Linda Howard provides the new reader with sufficient background to Zane, to understand what kind of family he comes from and what kind of person he is likely to be. The book then moves to a botched Naval exercise which leaves Zane short of two men. It is at this point that he is asked to rescue the Ambassador's daughter. Barrie Lovejoy is no spoiled socialite, although she has been protected by her father all her life (for understandable reasons). Her courage and endurance, as well as her unusual (but understandable) decisions, appeal to Zane. Barrie is poised, emotionally mature, and able to make decisions quickly. Zane has been dedicated to his job, but frustrated by the promotions that take him away from active duty. When Zane and Barrie end up spending an intense night and day together while hiding out, they form a bond even though they know virtually nothing about each other.

The book moves from the US to the Mediterranean back to the US. Despite these changes of locale (sketched in deftly for the most part), we remain focused tightly on the hero and heroine. MACKENZIE'S PLEASURE is one of the few stories where I genuinely liked the hero and heroine from the outset, and where I also felt that they were right for each other. That this contributed to my liking the book is not in question. Linda Howard's writing style also helped, as did her characterizations. Zane is an alpha male but not an overbearing alpha, but a protector and leader. The other SEALS came alive as did the heroine and her Ambassador father. What didn't work so well for me was the villain and his motivation (especially as explained to Barrie at the end).

Written by bookjunkiereviews 22 January 2006

It is evident that Robin Jones Gunn is use to writing for adolescents. This book is a small step up toward storytelling for adults. For the first half of the story mysterious innuendoes are substituted for intrigue, it lacks believability and the characters are ill-defined and inconsistent. Then, it seems that Robin's gift for bringing the reader into the world of the characters begins to surface and her ability to bring her characters to life emerges. Before book's end, I was ready to read the second in the series. I was and am a huge Robin Jones Gunn fan.

Robin Jones Gunn is such a talented writer! She takes you to places you've dreamed of going and after reading you feel like you have been there. Every chacter experiences feelings that almost every woman can relate to. She is my favorite christian fiction writer. I hope she continues writing. I love the whole Glenbrooke Series. The series takes you to Hawaii, TN, CA, OR, WA....but each one is linked to Glenbrooke...a town you kind of wish you could visit or even live there...of course its seems like you do when you are reading the series. I just finished book 7 of the 8. I almost hate to finish the last one....I want there to be a number 9 and continue on. The Glenbrooke series has romance and friendships that intertwine in each book. Gardinias for Breakfast is awesome too as well as the Sisterchicks books.

Want a book that holds your interest? I recommend this entire series. I discovered Gunn on accident; really it was a blessing! I liked this entire series. Good wholesome values and interesting plots that intertwine with the other books.

I love Mrs. Gunns books. hen I found this one I was really happy. I loved the story. I cant wait to read the reas of the series.

After a spontanious idea of picking up this random book at the library, I sat in my mother's car heading to an out-of-city thanksgiving dinner. Stationed in the back of the car, the overhead light provided the ability to read on this adventure. At 5 o'clock, I picked up this book called Secrets. I began the cutest love story. Meet Jessica, a single, stranger to the town of Glenbrooke, Oregon. She ends up in a wreck right outside the town. She is rescued by handsome volunteer fire-fighter Kyle Buchanan. After series of events, she finds herself wrapped up in her new school as a High School English Teacher. When Kyle comes to falling head over heels with her, she turns him away and is criticized of her assumed relationship with him by a jealous principal, Charlotte. They end up on a mission trip together in Mexico and she finds her way back to Christ. After her truck breaking down, she is robbed without the robbers knowing she's in the car, hiding in the floorboard. When Kyle finds her, all her emotions let loose and she ends up spilling almost the whole story that has been hidden since she left California to Glennbrooke. All she had been hiding, gone in a matter of minutes. They fall in love, and of course, almost every novel ends with: The promise of an upcoming wedding. But, don't worry, the ending will either have you in tears, or reliving your own love story.
So, five stars Mrs. Gunn! Your masterpiece is a keeper.

Andrea Camilleri is one of the few brilliant writers in the genre of detective fiction. His work has it all: superb writing, sensuality, food, funny and moving characters, a great detective, and a setting that allows for all kinds of innuendo and inference - Sicily. The translations are amazingly good, and the only caveat I have is BEWARE: these books are highly addictive.

Having read all the Andrea Camilleri books in Italian, I want to emphasize that the opening of Cane di Terracotta gives a perfect intro to Montalbano's character and ambience, and is an example of his best writing.
All Camilleri's Montalbano books read as if set for TV or movie, with quick moving short scenes, easily engaging the contemporary reader.
Can you imagine reading an Italian translation of Faulkner's works and being able to claim that you understood the depth of his writing? The same is true of Camilleri's Sicilian dialect being translated into English. Aside from his wonderful focus on the pleasures and travails of everyday life, and on the foibles of humanity, the true joy of his writing lies in its dialectical inventiveness, something that cannot be translated.
In fact, Camilleri has elevated his dialect to an art form, validating the usage of dialect in a world which is becoming ever more homogenized. Wasn't there a fellow named Dante that did a similar good turn?
I would encourage inquisitive readers to brush up their Italian so they can read other Andrea Camilleri books, especially those which are not Montalbano thrillers. My favorites are La Scomparsa di Pato, and La Concessione del Telefono. If your Italian is ok, you can learn the dialect from context as you read the books,
but if you want a little help, get Un Filo di Fumo, which has as its appendix a brief dictionary.

This was the first Camilleri novel I read. I started it and finished it in a day. The plot is quick; it drives you along with Inspector Montalbano who is a real "character" in every sense of the word.

Montalbano uses fowl language, LOVES food; he's direct, smug, unpredictable, truly Italian and a great detective. These mysteries have a definite Italian feel to them which only adds to their charm. They may not be for everyone, but if you want a gritty story that keeps you turning pages (and don't mind a few fowl words and so on...) these stories will intrigue you.

In this novel two mysteries are solved. One mystery is from about 50 years ago and the other occurs in present day. Montalbano and his fellow officers unravel both in the way only they can - not always by the book and with a few surprises. You also learn more about Montalbano's ambiguous personal life, which as always includes food, women and a swim in the ocean.

Inspector Salvo Montalbano of Vigàta gets an urgent call from his best friend Greg the pimp they need to meet on the quick, Montalbano is informed that Greg was told to relay a message from Tano the Greek (the number two Mafioso) he wants a secret tête-à-tête. Tano the Greek had been in hiding for quite sometime and on every wanted policeman list possible, Tano had made his conditions very clear that Montalbano should come alone and tell no one. Sudden trembles and panic enter Montalbono head, then suspicion why out of the blue would a member of the Mafioso want to meet with him? Curiosity more than anything gets the better of him and he complies to go without calling it in.

Meanwhile in another part of Vigàta a supermarket heist is taking place, Montalbano soon finds out everything did not go according to plan. Why would anyone bother to set up a heist then not only abandoned the goods but also leave a whole bagful of cash?

Inspector Montalbano is then on the move again this time his called to Palermo Hospital urgently to listen to a dying man's words, which in due course leads Montalbano to a secret cave, two more bodies are discovered embracing each other, even more shocking these bodies had been there for at least fifty years what sort of twisted dark past was this, who were these people and why were they being watched over by a Terracotta dog? Montalbano needs to understand what happened here, he takes time rediscovering the horrors of a WWII past. It's the only way forward.

Andrea Camilleri has written a wonderful Montalbano mystery series, what I love firstly about this whole series would be the charactizations and language the usage of dialogue in conversation it's all been kept real it's got sharp wit and comic moments the sly comments on Italian life and culture keeps things interesting and really amusing. Montalbano is a fantastic leading character his middle-aged, melancholy vein, recites certain favorite authors' lines in moments of doubt and his clearly well read. His passion for great flavored food is endless and mouthwatering, his also a thinker and manages to untangle a spun web of lies and sort out the logic of his cases to get to the truth. Montalbano is not afraid to explore all areas even into obsession. His got a huge female following of all ages because he has that attractiveness about him, one would be his "get to the point attitude" and can say it in many different ways. In spite of much temptation from women he remains faithful to his long time girlfriend Livia who in turn is happy to adjust her life and will calm and comfort in his time of need, Livia understands what his trying to achieve in his world that is corrupted and knows how to handle his darker moods. Montalbano loyal team continues to support him no matter what his faults and tactics may be.

The Fictional town of Vigàta is so vividly portrayed by Camilleri that it feels like a real place in Sicily; Camilleri himself in an interview said he based this town on his birthplace in Sicily Porto Empedocle, people of his home town have now recently changed the name to Vigàta to match the book in his honour. The whole series seems to have a timeless feel about them; I took a whole batch of this series on a recent vacation plotted up and read one to the next, it was addictive reading and I was not disappointed by any. Although you can start anywhere in the series, it clearly deserves to be read from the beginning. This is the second book in the series the first being (La form dell'acqua) The shape of Water.

A special mention to poet Stephen Sartarelli, for the clear translation of each book and for the informative notes given at the back on wording. Thank you.

This book was an intriguing wonderful read, the one that will hook and reel you in.

A.Bowhill

I have become enamoured with the Italian mystery genre in the last 2-3 years. It has been an education to explore Venice with Commissario Brunetti and Florence with Marshall Guarnaccia or Sicily with Inspector Montealbano. All three authors (Donna Leon, Magdalen Nabb, and Andrea Camilleri) know their locale and focus on the daily lives of the citizens, while moving along a rip-roaring story. But there are significant differences - Leon and Nabb write in English (Nabb uses British terms that remind me of Christie that break the spell) while Camilleri writes in Italian. He is Italian - he understands the importance of the land and the wine and especially the food that fuels Sicily. (The translation is superb.) Leon and Nabb certainly know their areas and their craft and they are very, very good, but Camilleri works the magic.

Camilleri captures the angst and the pain and the loneliness of Inspector Montalbano. But he also captures in mouthwatering detail the need to eat with a focus on the quality and variety of food that stops the Inspector's world, even when he has to go long distances to find the right place to eat.

I like to read a series from the beginning. I like to meet and greet the protagonist and then watch him/her grow with fond memories brought about by references to prior books. The Terra Cotta Dog is the first of the series that has been translated into English. Apparently the entire collection is large and the selection for translation has been severe, but the stories and especially the translations have been excellent. This is the place to start.

I highly recommend all three Italian protagonists with Inspector Montalbano and Commissario Brunetti right at the top of my list of "must buy" when a new book hit the market. They take me to places I have never visited, though I now seem to know, and allow me to interact with people I would like to know better.

My colleague and his wife visited his ancestor's Sicily last spring for the first time. I got them 5 of the books and suggested they read them in the order they were written if they had the time. The results were astounding. Apparently there was a fight for the books amongst the 4 that went and Mr. Camilleri's introduction to Sicily through the eyes of Inspector Montalbano made the trip even more memorable than expected. They "lived" Sicily by reading the books - not the big things from the guide books, but the small rituals of life and especially the food. Yes, for the Inspector, it all comes down to food and this is what made the trip so memorable.

Enjoy your tour of Venice or Florence or Sicily!

definitely one of the best spoken word poetry books out there. a lot of mind blowing subjects. great read especially for 20 somethings up. not that suitable for young adults as this does have some pretty grpahic stubjects such as beastiality

I have had this book for ten years now, i read it once a year at least and am finding i get something new out of it each time i read it. I just bought this as a gift for a friend of mine who is big on poetry slams ( i didn't have the nerve to loan him mine). It is in my top five of my all time favorite books (and i own thousands of books!!) It pulls at my heart strings, makes me cry, and makes me laugh out loud.

I loved every minute of this book, you never know what you're going to read next, my boyfriend loved it as well, & I am purchasing this book for him as well.

I have read this book over and over and over. Every time I read this collection, the more I like it. Very unique. I recomend anyone who loves poetry and likes something different, to pick up this book.

A few years ago a voice mail was set up in New York City, and poets were called in every month to read a new poem everyday onto the message. Then the public could call in everyday, listen to the poem, and respond after the beep with anything they had to say. The poems were recorded on an album, and the best printed in this wonderful book.

The book came out in 1997. The phone number they have listed in the introduction is either wrong or changed, I called it twice and kept getting the voice mail to someone named "Kika." The poets in this book are: Penny Arcade, Tish Benson, Nicole Blackman, David Cameron, Xavier Cavazos, Todd Colby, Matthew Courtney, M. Doughty, Kathy Ebel, Anne Elliot, Janice Erlbaum, Allen Ginsberg, John Giorno, John S. Hall, Bob Holman, Christian X. Hunter, Shannon Ketch, Bobby Miller, Wanda Phipps, Lee Renaldo, Shut-Up Shelley, Hal Sirowitz, Sparrow, Spiro, Edwin Torres, and Emily XYZ. All the poets get at least three poems, and very good portraits by photographer Christian Lantry. The poems are short enough that you can probably get through this in one sitting, or read a poet a day.

Penny Arcade starts the book off with a bang, using some really incredible verse. Tish Benson is next with poems that read like lazy blues songs, but filled with so much detail and activity, you can almost hear Billie Holliday gruffly whispering this in your ear. Nicole Blackman and her section is also incredible as she seems to speak for so many women who cannot find their own voice except hers. David Cameron's writing, while readable, is a little bland, like a freshman creative writing class. Despite his obvious emotion, I felt he was holding back on his own writing. Xavier Cavazos's section is slightly better, except for an entire poem that slams Rush Limbaugh. It may have been very clever when written and read, but it just give conservatives like Limbaugh more ammunition to go after art that they do not believe in. Why not a poem about Parkay hawking corporate monkey Al Franken, who had so much success slamming Limbaugh? Or Dennis Miller, whose rants against everybody was quickly dashed by asinine long distance ads. Nothing worse than a sell out. Todd Colby does better work with paragraph poems than traditional verse poetry. Matthew Courtney reads like poorly written Allen Ginsberg, full of "shocking" imagery and without a point. M. Doughty's work is scary and involving, and not your traditional stuff. Kathy Ebel left me with no response. I read it, I was done, and I was not terribly moved. Anne Elliot reads like poorly written Matthew Courtney. Janice Erlbaum is wonderful, filling a sonnet and sestina with modern situations, turning antiquity on its ear. Ginsberg is Ginsberg. Being a little familiar with his work, I expected to see poems about gay sex, followed by verses about a frog. Ginsberg is so Ginsberg. John Giorno's two poems are shocking, about more gay sex, and taking drugs. He seems to be shocking without TRYING to be shocking. I guess you could say his shock is natural.

John S. Hall also seems to be writing without getting to the heart of his point. His verse is so much posturing. Bob Holman is a bit of a bore, with quite a few poems here. Again, none stuck with me. Christian X. Hunter takes me into his world and it was hard to get out. He is probably my favorite poet here. Shannon Ketch reads like John S. Hall. Bobby Miller's very personal poems made me nostalgic for a time I could never experience. He writes about his first homosexual experience, and protesting Vietnam, so vividly, you swear you are there. Wanda Phipps opens with an angry poem, and never lets up. She is not threatening, but she has a lot to say. Lee Ranaldo also did not do it for me, his listed words seemed glossy and packaged. Shut-Up Shelley is fun because she is so different. Her changing font size on the page just screams at you, yet her photograph by Lantry shows her so whimsically. She is my second favorite poet here. Hal Sirowitz is my third favorite poet here, writing deeply personal poems about everyday things that had an obvious effect on his life. He is a blast to read aloud. Sparrow is weird. His first poem, involving possible sex with a cow, is a hoot, and his possible middle names for Bill Gates is a riot. Spiro is also very funny, especially his opening poem about heroin addiction. Edwin Torres also had me scratching my head for a while after I read him. His poetry is not hard, just inaccessible, and I was not interested enough in what he was saying to dig deeper. Emily XYZ reads like good Edwin Torres.

The 26 poets here are quite a variety, and I recommend this tome to any poetry lovers. I also repeat my mantra to read more poetry and keep buying those little chapbooks you might see in used bookstores or at flea markets. There is always time in your day to smarten up.

This does contain a lot of profanity, drug references, and sexual content, so giving it to your five year old to practice reading may not be a good idea.

the entire series is awesome, and not just for kids. i liked the first one and the third one the best. went to see Eoin Colfer at a book signing and he is awesome too. i read all his works. try the Supernaturalist.

This series are a joy to read and pass on to the grandchildren. The storyline keeps ones interest to the very end. When a new book arrives it is a joy to both myself and grandchildren.

The Artemis Fowl series are indeed great, showing a wonderful scheming and wit in order to conclude each adventure. Fowl is certainly a criminal mastermind, but i like the way his character develops thoughout the series, as well as the development of cap. Short.The first 3 books are necessary to enjoy the whole series.

This is an excellent book. I like since it has a good detailed story line but is not so detailed it is 700 pages long. It is also is a more interesting read then Harry Potter,ETC... since he (Artemis) relys on a plan instead of magic. It is also a good book since it makes for intersting series.

This collection is books 1-3. All are action filled and wonderful. Both adults and children love them. I can't wait for the last AF book!

I believe the other reviews of this book to be quite accurate; rightfully noting its annoyingly bad layout(lacking index, missing page headings of what you're reading, etc). Disregarding these shortfalls, Orwell's writing itself easily makes up for--and surpasses--were the publishers have blundered. I read these essays with child-like Christmas morning joy; finding pleasure in them as if peeling away the wrapping paper from the presents, leaving me engulfed with intrigue over Orwell's subjects, prose and opinions. This book is a real treasure trove for all those who enjoyed Orwell's most famous, if not cliche, works of 1984 and Animal Farm.

What distinguishes George Orwell from every other political writer in history is his pitiless intellectual honesty. It is true that Orwell hated imperialism, fascism and capitalism, and that he spent the majority of his career stumping and scrapping for democratic socialism, but no political ideology ever swallowed more abuse from one of its own. For every positive word Orwell scribbled or spoke about socialism he threw in at least a paragraph of denunciation, insult and mockery; indeed, in THE ROAD TO WIGAN PIER he so ridiculed the pimply, sniggering, ivory-tower intellectuals who were the public face of the movement that the Left Book Club, which had commissioned the book, added an introduction that basically disowned it. Orwell was quite simply something that doesn't exist nowadays: a man who didn't let his political opinions interfere with his observations. He spoke the truth, or what he saw as the truth, without any respect for the party line, and if he brassed off his own side in so doing, that was just too damn bad.

ESSAYS is not like the other Orwell books on the market, which featured pieces selected by an editor - THE ORWELL READER, A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS, etc. It is a massive, hardbacked, dumbell-heavy compendium of every single essay he penned in his entire career, spanning the period 1928 - 1949: letters to newspapers (some of them unpublished), BBC broadcasts, the innumerable "As I Please" columns, famous works like "Such, Such Were The Joys" and "The Lion and the Unicorn", innumerable book reviews...in other words, 1,360-plus pages of acid observation, scourging honesty and gallows humor, delivered by a master at the top of his form.

Obviously, you have to be a pretty hardcore fan of G.O. to lug this miniature telephone book out of the store, but it's a bargain at any price. Orwell's special genius was that he could tackle something completely ordinary - a ponderous scholarly work on political trends, a second-rate gangster novel, American comic books, magazines devoted to young boys, a government White Paper, even ordinary British postcards - and unmask the hidden, inner motivations which lurked behind them. His ability to see through dishonest arguments, expose hypocrisy, trace twisted motives to their roots, and draw timeless conclusions from seemingly trivial political and pop-culture events is rivaled only by his willingness to say the unsayable. Who but Orwell could get away with a such a brutally frank discussion of the motivations behind everything from anti-Semitism to pro-Communism, the allowance for the possibility that British Imperialism was worse than Nazism, or the statement that the root of Hitler's appeal was that Fascism was psychologically more sound than its alternatives, because it played into the fact that humans want struggle and sacrifice as much as pleasure and saftey? The answer is nobody; nobody else would have dared. Or would dare, now, when nearly every sentence written by politcos Left, Right and Center is either intellectually dishonest, partisan hackwork, or so filled with political, racial, and sexual correctness, with platitudes, with clichés and buzzwords, with stupidity and cowardice, that they essentially have no meaning?

In "1984", Orwell coined the term "duckspeak" to describe those who chatter unconsciously, unaware of the meaning of their own words but certain of their conformity to the party line. Well, you can love Orwell, you can hate him, or you can disagree with him to the middle of your bones, but one thing is absolutely certain: nowhere in the wrist-straining tome that is ESSAYS will you hear a single quack.

In these by times highly emotional essays written in the 1930s and 1940s George Orwell gives us with in depth analyses his personal viewpoint on the literary, political and socio-economic scene.

In literature, he sees the novel as `a Protestant form of art, a product of the free mind, of the autonomous individual.' Orwell's aim was to `push the world in a certain direction: a battle against totalitarianism and for democratic Socialism.'
In his criticism he searches for the essential (hidden) message of the author.
Dickens's rather naïve creed is: `If man would behave decently, the world would be decent.' His ideal is `a hundred thousand pounds, a quaint old house, a sweetly womanly wife, a horde of children and no work.'
Henry Miller's books are `a passive acceptance of decay and evil.'
H.G. Wells dreams of a utopian World State.
R. Kipling is a jingo imperialist, but he didn't understand that `an empire is primarily a money-making concern'.
W.B. Yeats is in essence a defender of feudalism, `a great hater of democracy and of human equality, of the modern world, science, technology and the concept of progress.'
A. Koestler's main theme is `the decadence of revolutions owing to corrupting effects of power.'
P.G. Wodehouse's real sin is to present the English upper classes as much nicer than they are.
In `Gulliver's Travels', J. Swift delivers a frontal attack on totalitarianism and shows that he is a disbeliever in the possibility of happiness.

Orwell's view on world matters is rightly `no Law, only Power'.
Nationalism is inseparable from the desire for power.
The concentration of the media in the hands of a few rich men puts the freedom of the press and intellectual liberty under attack. The `very concept of objective truth' is lost.
The Spanish war showed him the essential horror of army life.
He is extremely severe for the British establishment: `The British ruling class thought that Fascism was on their side.' For them, `it is better to inherit, than to work.' `In an England ruled by stupidity, to be `clever' was to be suspect.'

But his solution is also naïve: `common ownership of the means of production. The State, representing the whole nation, owns everything, and everyone is a State employee.' In other words, he pleads for a massive bureaucracy.
But he contradicts himself when he complains that `everything in our age conspires to turn the writer into a minor official!'

These essays contain also vivid memories of his public school life (`irrational terror') and of his Indian life ('Shooting an elephant'). He comments on sports (`war without shooting), detective stories (J.H. Chase), poetry (`the most hated art form'), mildly pornographic comic postcards (`a harmless rebellion against virtue') and ends with a superb portrait of Ghandi.

These remarkable essays, written by a fearless superb free mind, a fighter for justice and a true `révolté' (A. Camus), are a must read.

As a lit major very interested in politics, I find this collection to be fascinating and instructive. Mr. Orwell's views on what corporations would do to the news media and the stifling effects of politically correct speech are vital today, and should be required in civics and political science classes.

Mr. Orwell managed to anger and inform both liberals and conservatives by exposing hypocrisy and dull-minded dogma. His writing style is sharp and free of tiresome twists and turns. In fact, "Politics and the English Language" (954) targets academic writing that is puffed up for no reason other than to hide the fact that the writer has little to say. (And this article should be required reading in graduate literature classes!)

The power of his insights and imagery can be seen in "How the Poor Die," a sad, upsetting essay that made me want a shower and a drink when I finished reading it. (Again, this is current today with the horribly neglected and virtually unregulated "assited living facilities"--and even the Walter Reed outpatient scandal.)

So few writers have had such vision that it is worth repeating the cliche: George Orwell was a social prophet--a genuine one.

Because of Mr. Orwell's deep understanding of political systems and human nature, his excellent style, and the breadth of his subject matter, I think it would not be over-praising him to say that this volume ranks with Montaigne's collected essays.

This volume is lovely, both in binding and text size; however, as other reviewers have pointed out, the publisher should have taken the trouble to include an index at the end of 1363 pages of essays! (Write to Knopf/Random House to complain!)

I'm going to contact my county library to arrange donating a copy of this; it is a shame this book isn't on the shelves!

George Orwell: 1984 and beyond


The futurist novels 1984 and Animal Farm are George Orwell's primary literary legacy. He contributed the phrase "Big Brother" to the language, and is remembered... if at all...as a novelist and social commentator.

But Orwell was much more than that - during the Second World War he worked for the BBC as a commentator, essayist and writer. He was a consummate professional, a brilliant satirist, and an indefatigable correspondent. He volunteered in the Spanish Civil War and wrote "Homage to Catalonia" from his experiences.

What is more surprising is that Orwell ...who died at 46... left voluminous essays, letters and reportage which have been compiled in four thick volumes by Sonia Orwell and Ian Angus. * (George Orwell: Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters; Volumes 1-IV, Nonpareil Books, 2000), and in his Collected Essays.

. He lived as a tramp for a while, got arrested for being drunk, worked low-level jobs and wrote "Down and out in London and Paris" from his experience. Orwell struggled personally and financially; his first marriage ended with h is wife's death, his second was short, and he was usually broke. That changed with the publication of l984 and Animal Farm...the latter a satire on the Russian Revolution. Ray Bradbury's classic "Fahrenheit 451" owes a debt to Orwell. His BBC broadcasts during the War were classics.

In his short life, Orwell produced a huge body of work: his Collected Writings run to 20 volumes, and his essays fill four books. He is one of the major figures of 20th Century English writing.
Major Works

Down and Out in Paris and London
The Road to Wigan Pier
Nineteen Eighty-Four
The Orwell Reader: Fiction, Essays, and Reportage
Homage to Catalonia
Burmese Days

To call this my favorite Rad book is like saying "Chunky Monkey" is my favorite Ben & Jerry's ice cream. It's ALL good, my friend. But "Fated Love" has a great deal of emotional connection to it that puts it on a whole new level for me. The pace is superior, the character development is fantastic and the resolution is, well, "aww shucks." I'm a sucker for a sweet ending. I highly recommend this book on so many levels.

You know what you are getting with Radclyffe: a well-written, well-edited, multi-dimensional romance with characters dealing with disappointments or painful pasts, leading to an ultimately happy ending. This is a tried and true formula, and curling up with one of these books is a delight.

As far as specifics regarding this novel, I love it when Radclyffe uses a medical setting, because she's able to so deftly make it a realistic and interesting world. Quinn was an intriguing character with a bit of a mystery surrounding her undisclosed health reasons for leaving her surgical career. Honor was a sympathetic character in trying to deal with her grief, and balance a family and professional life. Chemistry sparked, but even beyond that the gentle way Quinn pursued inserting herself into Honor's life, her delight with Arly (Honor's daughter), the way she just couldn't help but pursue this woman despite the fact that she clearly had issues, all these elements combined to create a rich narrative.

This book sets itself apart with the realistic or unflinching way it deals with falling in love again after having lost a previous partner. The themes of moving on after great loss are represented in a variety of ways, through both Honor's grief and Quinn's coping with finding new ways to embrace happiness apart from the career she'd dreamed of having. This whole set-up was rife with believable road-blocks to happiness for our protagonists, ones it was fulfilling to follow them in overcoming. A very good read, as was expected, and a book I'll be keeping in my collection.

Radclyffe has truly done it with this one. I have only been reading lesbian romance for approimately a year now, however, I have read everything by this author. To date this book is My Favorite. Great Story, Great Characters, Great Romance.

I couldn't put it down. I read this in one sitting and have read it two more times since then. This is an excellent story. Again I love the hospital settings and the surgeons. Radcylyffe has a way of TRULY bringing her characters to life. There is no way you can't love Honor and her undying devotion to her late wife. Radclyffe does an excellent job in portraying her reluctance to pursue Quinn, but in the end you want them to be together. I also loved Arly.

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!

This book combines the Ying and the Yang. It creates a professional bonding that is so powerful it makes your heart expand for all that is good in the world.
The characters are well developed proffessional women who personify dedication and integrity.
The love for a child, a mother-in-law, and for a lost soul mate is very powerful.
I found myself feeling the heart renching discovery of memories lost but never forgotten.
An absolutely amazing read, which leaves the reader wanting more, but never questioning that these characters will live happily ever after.
Devlyn

Some of Radclyffe's most believable and spectacular books utilize her professional expertise, medicine, to great advantage. As in all of her novels, her surgical skill is in evidence with prose pared down to clean essentials; never a cliche and original images that linger after the reader has closed the book.

Gabe just like the rest of the Buckhorn Brothers is worth buying! They are all awesome guys with really great stories. Each brother is different but they are all are hot, sexy and romantic. Anyone who reads these books will fall for them.

i loked but i wanted to go more into the ceily and gabe past it wouldve been better for the book and elizabeth wanted to know anyway

Oh my, Lori Foster manages to entertain me with another beefy "Buckhorn Brother" story and continues to further captivate me with this terrific series.

Gabe Kasper has always been a charmer. Women love him and he loves women and ain't life grand! Until Ms. Elizabeth Parks shows up and ties him into one big complicated knot! Suddenly, this carefree man finds he is confused and frustrated, for the "Uptight" Ms. Parks is everything he is not! Normally, Gabe Kasper is content to idle his life away, to enjoy his freedom robustly, to amuse all the ladies amorously. Yet, now . . . a certain little redhead is quickly redirecting Gabe's everyday thoughts into some unforgettable daydreams.

Elizabeth Parks reminds herself to savor this time. To enjoy every steamy hour with Gabe Kasper . . . thoroughly. After all, Gabe Kasper is quite a man. He is drop-dead gorgeous, strong, independent, and his heroism is well known. In fact, Gabe is everything she is not; Gabe Kasper is certainly not a feeble coward!

Reviewer's Comments:
Again, Lori Foster creates a page-turner. GABE is fun and easy to read. It is a tremendous way to waste an afternoon. It is breezy, easy, and light . . . a perfect vacation book! Lori Foster instantly replaces every troubling predicament with a dreamy, hot playfulness.

Hurrah! After I tracked down 3 out of 5 of Foster's big brawny series, I just learned Harlequin is reissuing the first 4 "Buckhorn Brothers" stories in March 2007! Hallelujah! Yet, sadly, they do not include CASEY (Book 5) in this much-anticipated publishing coup! Harlequin don't be cruel . . . my CASEY order is primed!

MaryGrace Meloche.

I stumbled across the Buckhorn Brothers books while looking for Erin McCarthy books (which are great, too, by the way). I ordered all four at one time, and for some reason they're taking several weeks to ship. But they shipped Gabe early, and am I ever glad! I debated waiting for the rest so I could read them in order, but after peaking inside, I had to read Gabe right away.
Even though I sometimes roll my eyes at the cheesy perfect-ness of the men in romance novels (and Gabe is pretty much perfect), I have to admit I'm a sucker for these stories. Gabe is really too good to be true. He's one of those super-charming men who really loves and appreciates women. I usually find men like that are raised in households with sisters or by single mothers or grandmas, not like the testosterone-filled Hudson/Kasper house.
Anyway, this story was just really sexy. I like that Gabe falls for a shy, bookish, average-looking girl like Lizzy, and not a bombshell. He even wonders himself why he's falling for someone so against his type. Of course by the end of the book, he thinks Lizzy is beautiful. Lizzy is a little unbelievable in her naiveté, but it makes for a good story when Gabe gets to introduce her to all sorts of new experiences.
The book doesn't really have a plot, and the romance happens in record time, but it doesn't matter. The story is written well enough that you just go with it. Even though these are re-issued older books, nothing in the Gabe book was at all dated. It could have been set today or any time in the past ten years. I'm looking forward to reading the other three brothers' stories, and then the new story about Casey that's coming out soon. I doubt they can top this one, though!

This series is fantastic you have four handsome, intelligent, real honest men who love women. The underline theme is that good men do exist. Each brother gets his own book and each fall in love even though they don't want to.... Buy the whole series, get glass of favorite beverage and they will leave with a smile! Buckhorn Brothers Series Sawyer (Book 1), Morgan (Book 2), Gabe (Book 3),Jordan (Book 4) and Casey (Book 5 published in 2002),