Contemporary Books

I was Sara in a production of this play. However, that is not the only reason that I love it. I first read the play for a women playwrights class that I was in, and I instantly fell in love with it. My director described it best when she said "I read the last page, gasped, then went straight back to the beginning and read it again." I feel that way every time I re-read the script. After speaking these words for months of rehearsals and performances, I still gasp. Diana Son herself said it best when she said that it isn't a play about homosexuality or violence. It's a play about love. I think it's a play about humanity. But most of all, it's a play about taking chances and finding out who you really are no matter what that means.

I might be in a minority, but I don't have any problem with the parallel time line device. The structure makes it easy to give physical cues to separate the elements, and the story unfolds evenly between the stories, so you aren't left with gaps or redundancies.

Possible challenges in a couple scene changes, mainly costume/makeup, but a good director will find a way.

Diano Son captures this touching store told in scenes that jump from present to past. Every other scene tells the present and past of two women who fall in love without the knowledge of their sexuality. When one is beat and injured by a madman in the city, they must confront their families with their sexuality. One, too unstable to be on her own, needs the other. The story is touching, melodic and wonderful.

Diano Son captures this touching store told in scenes that jump from present to past. Every other scene tells the present and past of two women who fall in love without the knowledge of their sexuality. When one is beat and injured by a madman in the city, they must confront their families with their sexuality. One, too unstable to be on her own, needs the other. The story is touching, melodic and wonderful.

This is an excelent exploration of love and what constitutes it, and a painful reminder of hate--specifically homophobia. The message here is one worth hearing, and the telling of it is skilled and a pleasure to read. Highly Recommended.

I bought this book many years ago and have continuously gone back to it for reference and ideas. With our last tropical storm we had some rain damage and this book was one of them. I honestly couldn't live without it and once the book was discovered ran to Amazon to order a replacement! Yes, I like the book that much. Even if you're just thinking about it, there are so many buying options get the cheap used one if you have to. You won't regret it.

This book is very inspiring and has clear directions and notes - a good buy. I think it will be very good for people like me - beginners.

Plenty of basic information about techniques, stitches and supplies. There are coloured photographs of all the projects towards the back of the book. Everything is clearly explained so a beginner would be able to make a start.

This book is simply enchanting. The author's examples are masterpieces, her instructions are very clear. A must buy for a needlework enthusiast.

I bought this book about 2 years ago while I was exploring the world of raised embroidery and I got this book and I was floored!!!
Everything in this book is so life-like and beautiful!
I really need to get all of her books! If you are an embroiderer this MUST be in your reference library!
I have plans for this technique in my planned projects and everytime I look at this book I just gush!
Believe me, this book is worth it!
This is a great book. Learn stumpwork from Jane, she's got "TALENT"!!!!!

I like the way the author brought the Jordan and Starris together. The love between the two was evident for eveyone to see. The story was well written with enough drama and romance to keep you turning the pages.

This book is great. I have read it over and over again. This is one of my favorite books.

I am a true romance reader and I consider this book a wonderful addition to my collection. Subtle Secrets by Wanda Y. Thomas is a nice read with a light taste of mystery added to the mix. Starris Gilmore is looking for steady employment so she can adopt Danielle Kathryn Carter, a beautiful little girl who was left on the doorsteps of an orphanage when she was just an infant. After leaving behind a verbal abusive marriage, Starris feels she has truly found peace and love with Danielle, which she affectionately calls Dani. Starris interviews for a position with ROBY headed by Jordan Banks, but is turned down. Though she is perfect for the job, she is left with seeking employment elsewhere to ensure that nothing stands in her way of adopting Dani.

Jordan Banks is executive director of ROBY, a mentoring and job opportunity program for young males from the inner city. Jordan is still recovering from a marriage gone bad from the very beginning. His ex-wife is found murdered by an unknown suspect, and he soon learns he has a daughter who was left in a home for children in Atlanta. After bringing his daughter Jolie Kathryn Banks home, he vows to himself that he will never love or trust another woman again. Starris and Jordan become more aware of each other when they both find out that their daughters are best friends. The sparks begin to fly and the girls begin plotting ways to bring their parents together. What stands out is the fact that the girls not only get along well as if they are sisters, but they look similar in features.

Leaving the suspense right there, you are in for a wonderful romantic and intense story about people who are afraid to love again; afraid to face their "demons" and move on; afraid to forgive and forget, and afraid to love each other. As Starris and Jordan soon learn and reveal through a plotting siniser employee working for ROBY, and who holds a key connection to the girls' past, their love is finally tested.

Ms. Thomas does a wonderful job of staging every detail of emotion that anyone could endure after being hurt and so afraid to try again. I especially enjoyed her character development of Jolie and Dani, they will make you relate and smile several times throughout the story. As that famous saying goes "out of the mouth of babes comes much wisdom." I also recommend that you read the author's note in the back of the book. You will learn that this storyline is very dear to Ms. Thomas. Thank you for making us understand and the continued awareness of parentless children needing to love and be loved. I highly recommend this for the romantic reader, you will not be disappointed. I applaud Ms. Thomas and graciously give Subtle Secrets a rating of 4.

Reviewed by Kalaani

I loved it! This was my first book written by Wanda Thomas, but it will definitely not be my last!! Ms. Thomas has not only been added to my book list, but her books have become some of the top priorities. "Subtle Secrets" is not only about the love of a man and woman, Jordan Banks and Starris Gilmore, but it is about love of family. Life has dealt some hard blows to both Jordan and Starris, but each has been blessed with the love of a child -- Jolie Kathryn Banks and Danielle "Dani" Kathryn Carter. Ironically their lives are entwined in more ways than one.
Starris first encounters Jordan at her friend's home. Then, later meets face to face when Starris applies for a much needed job at ROBY, where Jordan is the director. From there, they discover that their daughters are best friends. Starris and Jordan's relationship at first is bumpy, but soon the bumps began to smooth out as they are constantly thrown together and can no longer deny their mutual feelings.
"Subtle Secrets" also gives the reader insight into the welfare adoption system. Dani may not be Starris' biological daughter, but Starris has all the love for Dani that a natural mother would have for her child. Dani's and Jolie's lives are entwined with similarities that cannot be ignored. They both were abandoned as infants at an orphanage. However, Jolie was blessed with the love of her father, Jordan, and his wonderful family. Dani was not so blessed until Starris came into her life, then all the love that Dani has kept bottled inside came pouring out to the only mother she had ever known - Starris.
"Subtle Secrets" is a touching, heartwarming, loving story about family, faith, trust, and caring. It's also about overcoming lack of trust and the old hurts from the past. Not only are the adults affected, but the children are also embroiled in old wounds from the past. However, true love will outweigh all ills and bring new joy.
Great read and I look forward to reading the other books written by Ms. Thomas. My next one to read will be Shelby's and Nelson's story, "Truly Inseparable."

This is my second book by the author Wanda Thomas. I love the way she writes a love story and also inform you about life matters. Her latest novel involves Starris Gilmore and Jordan Banks.

Starris has come from a terrible marriage and believes that she is unlovable to a man. Her ex-husband got a kick out of abusing her emotionally in front of their guest. In the process of healing she volunteered to help children. This is where she met a little girl that she now wants to adopt. In order to adopt she must have stable employment.

When Starris walks into Jordan's office for a job interview he knew that he could not hire her because he was sexually attracted to her.

Jordan has also come through a bad marriage. Jordan learns of a daughter that he didn't know he had until after his ex-wife is murdered. He vows never to give his love to another woman again. But once his path crosses with Starris, he vow is tested.

Will they get together? I love the way the author has all the characters playing a big part in telling this story. The girls were very funny in their schemes to get their parents together.

You will truly love this page turning story. I hope to see a story on Jordan's sister.

I loved this book. I kinda wish it was more about Ashley and Sean and less Kate and Tyler but it was amazing! I never would have guessed the ending. I did think it was sad that everyone sacrificed their lives to protect the family's secrets but I guess I can understand that. I would recommend this book to anyone.

This was a most intelligent and enthralling story; not only intriguing, but sensual as well. All characters were well-thought out and interesting. From the very first, when Tyler appears on the scene, the story and romance grabs you. There was one fascinating plot after another, and I found myself half-crazed to know the secrets, and to see how Tyler and Kate got together, along with Sean and Ashley. And to find out whose baby it was and what became of Jeremy. I have been reading romance/suspense for a number of years and Ms. Freethy has become an addition to list of my best authors.

Stormy relationships and a stormy sailing adventure combine to make this a better-than-average read. Barbara Freethy keeps you guessing about the big family secret and the ending is predictible but still fun. It's a great way to pass a summer afternoon at the beach or just curled up on the living room sofa.

If you want a love story wrapped up with some intrigue, SUMMER SECRETS is the book for you. All the while I was reading the book, I was trying to guess the secret ... and never could! The romance and mystery will keep you turning the pages as fast as you can. Great read.

I, for once, never disappointed with Barbara Freethy, ever since I purchased my first book of her (One True Love) few years ago. She is my favorite author when it comes to family stories. She always manages to write such beautiful, heartwarming, and also real family stories. The joy, the tears, the fears, the loyalty ... they are always there, knotted into one amazing story. She did it again with SUMMER SECRETS. Each character stands out with their own self. The sisters are uniquely different with one another but nevertheless, united with a strong bond called "family. The romance of course, is also beautiful. I love the chemistry between Tyler and Kate, also Ashley and Sean. I just wish Caroline will get her own man. This book is wonderful read ... if you don't know Barbara Freethy, you're missing such a talented author!

I had to go on a five-day trip to Brazil and the timing didn't fit with taking conventional classes in Portuguese, so I tried this. I spent maybe 45 minutes to an hour with it, a few evenings a week. The lessons were well laid out and easy to follow. After several months I got on the plane down to Sao Paulo, and from there took a connecting flight that wasn't geared for passengers who spoke English. I found that I could (1) understand most of the in-flight magazine ... OK, those are not what you'd call heavy reading ... (2) get to my destination (3) understand what my hosts said to me (4) talk to them so they could understand me.

Disclaimer: I already have studied French, German, and Spanish. If you know French and Spanish you'll have little trouble with Portuguese.

Brazil is an interesting place, even if you aren't in Rio.

This course gave me what others failed to. I felt that the author was always with me, informing, guiding, anticipating my problems and providing answers. Dr Cook must be a very good teacher!
You can go as far as you want, use the first units just to get by or go through the whole book. You can stop where you want and still have learned something. Pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary are very clearly explained. I strongly recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn Portuguese, for Brazil, Portugal, and some countries in Africa or anywhere else where the language is spoken.

There are several reasons why I really like about this course: the method (you build up your knowledge of the language step by step); the authentic dialogues; the grammar notes and verb conjugation tables; the cultural points; and the letter writing. The course is lively, fun, and very efficient. The audio is good, at the right speed for the learner. The book also has lots of exercises with a key, another very good feature. I bought this course after having bought Portuguese Living Language (ISBN 1400020239) and I am using both. I think they make good partners.

Fun, easy and very efficient. Excellent audio, slow enough for a beginner, excellent dialogues with the kind of words and structures you need in a foreign country. The language is explained in a way that makes it easy to understand. There are absolutely lots of exercises to practice what you are learning. This is a course I strongly recommend.

If more than five stars were available, I would give them to this course. Some courses specifically for Brazilian or European Portuguese teach you local expressions and colloquialisms that make learning harder for people like me who want to use the language on both sides of the Atlantic. After struggling with a couple of such courses, I was fortunate to find this one. In this course the starting point is the common ground between Brazilian and European Portuguese. The differences are then explained and you can pick what you need depending where you want to use the language.

I bought this course last year and have gone through most of it. So far, I have used what I am learning in Brazil, Portugal and Angola. When I spoke Portuguese in these countries, it was a fantastic feeling to see that I was actually understood. The accompanying audio gives you different voices, which also helps with the various accents even within Brazil (they sound quite different in the north and in the south).

Another feature I particularly like in this course is that it is very communicative. Everything you learn can be used straight away, in authentic situations: formalities on arrival, finding the way, hiring a car, hotel and other accommodation, food, shopping, health, meeting people socially or for business, and a lot more. This course is a superb buy.

I highly recommend this novel to both gay and straight teenagers and their parents. I also feel it is important reading for those who care about their health and welfare, especially members of faith communities and the medical profession. The beginning of the story was extremely difficult and I could only read it small doses. The attempts by the staff of the fictional "Straight to God" institution to destroy a person's very being is incredibly horrifying. And to do this in the name of God or Jesus seems absolutely unbelievable. Taylor is an incredible young man supported by the love of another young man. Fortunately the staff of this bizarre institution is not monolithic; not all of the them are truly evil persons. The "inmates" develop their own ways of dealing with those in authority. I am not sure I would have had the maturity to survive as the characters mange to do. I found the ending realistic and satisfying. "Thinking straight" is a book to inspire. It demonstrates that each of us can survive and grow and even succeed if we have faith in ourselves.

Taylor is a young teenager from a really catholic family. He really believe in what he was taught, he believes in God and he loves Jesus, and he would be glad to be part of the church, but there is a problem: Taylor is gay and he is also in love with an high school mate, Will, another teenager who frequents the same church as him. They spend an year hiding their love, even if Will would be more bold and brave than Taylor, and he encourages Taylor to not stay in the closet, to come out but without loosing his faith in God, since accordingly to Will, God loves his sons. When Taylor finally finds the courage to come out with his parents, his father's reaction is not as good as he hopes: he send Taylor in a catholic reprogramming group, a place where the motto ora et labora is still the panacea for all the problem, a place where people try to convince Taylor that suicide is better than being gay! With the strenght of his love for Will, and a new strenght he finds in himself, Taylor tries to survive to the 42 days of captivity.

The story is a lot more involving than the previous one by the same author, A Secret Edge: here the boys unfortunately have to face all the problem of being gay in a community that believes it to be a sin, and a mortal sin. Nevertheless it's a big love story, but more than a love story between Taylor and Will, it's a love story between Taylor and Jesus, and through Jesus, with God. Even if Taylor has to face unbelievable things, he never stops to love God, and he never stops to believe. Taylor, Will and some other guys they will meet during the story, will try to build a world where the words of God are still of love and not of hate. With their courage they will change a little part of that world that rejected them, even if, probably, the ending is too much as a fairy tale rather than reality; unfortunately I believe than in the real world, a guy like Taylor would be not so lucky as he was. But it's still a drop in the ocean and a little step toward a better world.

I should say that I like more this second book than the previous one, since, even if it's more angst, and the love story is a bit in second line, all the characters in the book have their personality and concur to create a chorus of voice that represents a good part of the young adult population.

Returning back to the worldly love story, between Taylor and Will, even if it's lived in flashback by Taylor, it seems alive and I found myself searching the little bit of memories which whom the author makes Taylor relive his love. It's also very sexy without being explicit. And also very involving: I almost wept in a scene where Taylor was forced to destroy a note from Will.

Robin Reardon has written an extraordinary second book. I read her first book, A Secret Edge, and found that one to be excellent. Thinking Straight is even better. The characters are so well-developed that they seem to spring from the page. The book contains humor, drama, and suspense enough to keep one reading on. Reardon spins her plot with the expertise of a well-established writer like Maugham or McMurtry. I had a hard time putting this book down. It is an excellent subject for any teen (or anyone for that matter) coming to terms with their faith in God and homosexuality. Reardon has certainly become one of the truly good writers of today. I can't wait for her next book.

Reardon is an excellent writer and shares the horrific story of the abuse of the medical and religious homophobia treatment centers

Taylor Adams is a gay high school junior, hopelessly in love with his classmate, Will, who feels the same way about him. When a first love seems to be working out so well, it's hard to imagine anything can go wrong, which is likely why Taylor didn't think through his response to his parents, who wondered why he wasn't intersted in continuing to see a girl from their church whom they had set up on a date. Their knee-jerk reaction to his coming out resulted in Taylor being sent away for six weeks of "rehabilitation" at Straight To God, a church-sponsored residential center for "confused" teens and young adults.

Based on his first few days aty Straight To God, Taylor felt his worst fears about the place were true. His roommate, Charles, seemed to be an inflexible, nosey snitch, some of his fellow residents were sullen robots or vindictive bible-thumpers, his caseworker was a stern lady who seemed eager to trip him up to prolong his "sentence," and the chaplain was just plain creepy. But Taylor warmed up to some of the other teens over the next few days, and found a helpful group of like-minded friends who helped each other make it bearable. When he became aware of some relationships that were not at first obvious, and the reasons why some of the older residents voluntarily came back multiple times, the center took on a new interest for Taylor, feeling a responsibility to some of the friends he had made while there.

In this compelling and rather ambitious followup to "A Secret Edge" (which also dealt with a gay teen's first love), Reardon tries to be fair to both the traditional Christian view on homosexuality, and the more liberal (and generally accepted) interpretations of scripture that support the fact that Jesus actually considered homosexuality a non-issue. That transition happens to both the staff and many members of Straight To God during the 300+ pages of the book, making for rather interesting reading, a good lesson for others wanting to be so enlightened, but perhaps more than a bit implausible and contrived to GLBT teens and adults who were past that point. I give it four stars out of five.

This remarkable book has forever changed the way I view the Church, the State, the Eucharist, Torture, and how they all relate.

William Cavanaugh's dissertation takes the form of a historical case study of the Roman Catholic Church in Chile during the Pinochet regime. He begins by dicussing how torture and disappearance[1] are ecclesiological problems. What he means is that torture and disappearance are not merely horrible abominations enacted upon individuals, but are violence enacted upon social bodies. Who are the victims of torture and disappearance? In once sense, it is those who have been tortured and disappeared, but in another it is all of those who dwell in the society in which this is taking place. This is because torture and disappearance are actions that can happen to anyone at anytime, so all people are kept in fear and an anxiety.

The idea of torture is perhaps the most effective generator of fear, since torture reaches to the very limits of horror, turning the body against the person to such an extent that death become desirable. Fear of torture, fear of death, were concrete fears that only began to articulate the hidden anxieties which lurked beneath the surface of Chilean society. (p. 47, emphasis added)

In this way, torture is liturgical:

Torture may be considered a kind of perverse liturgy, for in torture the body of the victim is the ritual site where the state's power is manifested in its most awesome form. Torture is liturgy...because it involves bodies and bodily movements in an enacted drama which both makes real the power of the state and constitutes an act of worship to that mysterious power. (p. 30, emphasis original)

So Cavanaugh argues that in Chile, torture was an act of violence upon the imaginations of the society. The society as a whole was made to take on the imagination of the state and forget all other narratives.

How Did the Church in Chile respond to these attacks?

Cavanaugh says that the Church in Chile had a deficient understanding of ecclesiology, which led to it being totally unprepared to deal with the violence of the regime. He argues that the Church had allowed itself to be relegated to a private "spiritual" sphere. They viewed the human being as being under two divinely sanctioned authorities, the Church (in regard to spiritual matters) and the State (in regard to social matters). When the state launched attacks upon the imaginations of the people of Chile in the form of torture and disappearance the Church was forced to respond to a state that was refusing to live by the bifurcation that their ecclesiology demanded. "Chapter 2 describes how ill-prepared the official church was to meet this strategy, since its own ecclesiology had already, in effect, disappeared the church as a social body." (p. 120)

So the church's response was to try and recapture its political and social aspects. The church learned how to be oppressed and give voices of dissent to the oppressors. The church began to tell a different story from that of the state, a story that gave the people a new imagination.

Cavanaugh offers several examples of how the church in Chile learned to do just this in the midst of their oppression. Specifically, he focus his study on the Eucharist as the church's response to torture.

"The Eucharist , as the gift which effects the visibility of the body of Christ, is therefore the church's counter-imagination to that of the state." (p. 251)

"The Eucharist is the promise and demand that the church enact the true body of Christ now, in time. Worldly kingdoms have declared the Kingdom of God indefinitely deferred, and the poor are told to suffer their lot quietly and invisibly. In the Eucharist the poor are invited now to come and feast in the Kingdom. The Eucharist must not be a scandal to the poor. It demands real reconciliation of oppressed and oppressor, tortured and torturer. Barring reconciliation, Eucharist demands judgement." (p. 263)

The church in Chile was unable to adequately respond to the abuses of the regime because of its faulty ecclesiology. But after a time the church found within its own structures and liturgy the tools necessary to respond to the actions of the state by proclaiming a parallel narrative. The church learned that it can not separate between the spiritual and the social, between the ecclesial and the political.

May the church in America learn this truth as well.

[1] Disappearance, as Cavanaugh defines it, is the apprehension of individuals by the regime without the officers of arrest identifying themselves or giving the specifics of the charges. The individual is then held in custody for an extended length of time without trial or knowledge of when his imprisonment and torture will end.

Cavanaugh's book shows what Radical Orthodoxy is all about--he traces some of the myths that drive Western nation-states to medieval theological hiccups; he delves the resources of Christian liturgy for strength to resist the all-envious nation-state; he points to times and places that the Church has really "gotten it right" and taken a stand against the idols and empires in the name of Christian charity.

Best of all, Cavanaugh does it in such a manner that a reader who has trouble with John Milbank's dizzying syntax (and I are one) can make it though his book without having to read each paragraph three times.

For people who suspect that neocon political ideology is more sinister than we've been led to think, and for people who believe that the Peace of Christ is neither utopian dream nor otherworldly sigh but practices through which the gracious Father of the universe, incarnated in the Son and empowering peaceable communities through the Spirit, can redeem, even if incompletely, the world which God so loves.

When I first heard of this book, I thought I had a fairly good idea of what I would discover within. With its focus on torture in general, and the torture employed by the Chilean Pinochet regime specifically, I was sure that Cavanaugh's work was going to be some form of Liberation Theology. What I was not prepared to find was a work that arrived at many of the same moral conclusions as Liberation Theology, but which transcended this theology's shortcomings precisely because it was so thoroughly orthodox. But that is exactly what "Torture and Eucharist" is.

For Cavanaugh, torture is a kind of "anti-liturgy" employed by the State to divide its social bodies into individual and powerless units. The Christian performance of the Eucharist serves as the ultimate antithesis to this division, uniting the Church's members into one perfect political Body, the Body of Christ. This may initially sound like excessive idealism, but Cavanaugh pulls no punches in critiquing his own communion's failings. Focusing primarily on Jacque Maritain's ecclesiology and "Social Catholicism," Cavanaugh demonstrates how the Church under Pinochet abdicated its responsibility toward the "body," by turning this responsibility over to the State and by claiming jurisdiction only over the "soul". It is this separation of the "physical" from the "spiritual," the "political" from the "theological," that Cavanaugh presents as the primary reason the Catholic Church could offer no systemic resistance to Pinochet's regime. And it is, of course, only the Eucharist that perfectly unites the two realities--the Body which the Church failed to recognize.

The final part of the book contains case studies that demonstrate alternatives to the atomized and scattered ecclesiology of the Church during Pinochet's reign, though exactly how the Church at large could have reacted as the "Body of Christ" remains an open question. But I did not find this to be a shortcoming, as the author is committed to dealing with history, not speculation. Overall, I believe I have encountered in Cavanaugh a brilliant and sincere theologian, worthy of reading multiple times. It is an understatement to say this book gave me many things to ponder, at once disturbing and inspiring, long after I had read the last page.

This is a book with a narrow focus taht has far-reaching implications. Cavanaugh examines Chile under the Pinochet regime. This regime used torture as a tool of the state. In essence, torture became a "liturgy" of the state. Unfortunately, the church was not prepared to deal with such a turn of events. That is because the ecclesiology of the church at the time held that the state was to care for the body while the church cared for the soul. This dualism created problems for the church resisting the torture of the state.

It is at this point that Eucharist is suggested as a counter liturgy. Where torture individualizes, the Eucharist creates a social body. Eucharist helps others while the torture only harms. In short, Eucharist provides the means for the church to engage meaninfully the wayward state.

This book says wonderful things about the situation in Chile. It could also have implications in other contexts. What does it mean for the Eucharist to act as a counter liturgy to the litugy of capitalism? How does the building up of a social body in Eucharist allow Christians to deal with the fragmentation of war? There is much more that could be said based on what Cavanaugh does in this wonderful book.

A life-changing book in my development as a convert to Catholicism. Few have ever demonstrated the inherent relevance of the Eucharist in the arena of "worldly" power politics. Cavanaugh revealed to me how Catholics need not look so much outside of doctrinal orthodoxy for a response to secular evils. Rather the transformative power of the Eucharist and the Liturgy is ever yet to be discovered, not just as succor for the soul but also for the nations.

I really enjoyed this book. I bought it to read to my four-year-old and the book well exceeded my expectations.

Here you will find classics such as the Three Billy Goats Gruff and tales you may never have heard of. They are all beautifully put together and could be told as a traditional story teller might or read aloud for maximum impact.

Great stories well told, and a treasure trove for children and folklorists alike.

I bought this book for my 9 yr old son who is interested in fantasy. The stories are really entertaining and he very much loves to read about the trolls, dwarves and other beings. The illustrations are also great! I would highly recommend this book.

I love children's books and I love sharing them with children. I have high standards... I like good writing. I expect illustrations that truly add something to the quality of the storytelling and which are truly artistic. Usually one or the other, and often both, is lacking.

Lise Lunge-Larsen brought my Scandinavian heritage forward in a respectful way when she retold these tales, and Betsy Bowen's well known woodcuts did everything art can do to encourage the telling of a tale. The art actually has a nostalgic feel that lends to how old troll tales are and seemed to have been dug out of the past with them.

I had begun reading about trolls to my son with D'Aulaires' Book of Trolls (New York Review Children's Collection), and while I love the d'Aulaires artistry and it's a well written book, it was as much the history of trolls as it was stories. My son sat through it, but he didn't beg for me to read like he did with this one. Lunge-Larsen takes the opposite approach with a little bit of Troll lore followed by mostly story. Having already read d'Aulaire aloud and taking my son's age into consideration, I read the commentary to myself this time and only read him the stories. He has continued to come back to this book to hear favorite stories again (which is good -- memory has its development in the early years and hearing stories repeated is beneficial) and asked for felt board characters to go along with the books and to aid him in narrating the stories from memory both for my benefit and when he is on his own.

I was so happy to find these wonderful troll stories told the way I remember them! My mother (who grew up in northern Minnesota) told us kids these stories when we were very small (that's a long time ago). Lately I thought the tradition was lost because I could only find watered-down versions of the the Three Billy Goats Gruff, not the fascinating and powerful tales I remembered. But all is not lost. Here is a collection of genuine Troll stories, with ugly, scary trolls in all shapes and sizes, and clever boys and girls who persevere through wild and strange adventures and eventually save the day. Great stories, wonderfully told. The illustrations are beautiful.

I first borrowed this book from the library, but of course had to then buy a copy of my own. I highly recommend this book.

My kids love these stories. Some of these I remember from my childhood but most were new to me. I love the intros to all the tales. They really describe what true Norwegian Trolls are like. The illustrations are perfectly done. They match the way the stories unfold and the ruffness of the illustrations really brings out that uncivilized Troll imagery.

IN MANY OF THE STATEMENTS THAT I READ I SEEN THAT MANY SAID A LOT ABOUT THE WRITTER WELL WE ALL HAVE MANY OPINIONS I PERSONALLY HAVE MY OWN OPINION I THINK IS ONE MY GREAT BOOKS THAT I HAVE TO READ IN MY FREE TIME LIKE SCHOOL OR JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE BUT JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT I LOVE CHALINO AS THE PERSON HE WAS A WHILE BACK WITH HIS MUSIC I ADMIRE HIM AS A FATHER AND I AM IN LOVE WITH HIS SON 4-SHO!!!

Another reviewer pointed out that Quinones' accounts are "researched", and this is true; he's done what he needed to do to find his facts. But I would add that the overwhelming note, for me, is that the man has "been there". I heard about "True Tales" from a reviewer of Elijah Wald's "Narcocorrido", and would now agree with that reviewer that the Quinones piece on Chalino Sanchez tells us a lot more about his world than Wald's book, valuable but a bit touristy, a bit arch, and a bit academic. There is an immediacy in these chapters by Quinones, of grittiness, suffering, delusion, terror, helplessness, of all the qualities of the many Mexicans Quinones met and listened to. His description of the lynching is the most direct, realistic and frightening I've ever read; this can happen anywhere, anytime. These stories are unadorned realities of Mexico and the Border, and the entire world as well.
As Edward Abbey said, of the same country, "this is the real world, muchachos, and you are in it."

It is clear from the book there is more than one Mexico. It's not what you think. The border is a focus but hardly all. Gangs are a focus. The book raises a major question. Is Mexico changing and how?Quinones presents many portraits from gangbanger singer Chalino Sanchez to the dead women of Juarez. Each sketch adds a different and fascinating dimension to a complex perception of what Mexico is. No other book presents that plurality as well. The book is a page turner, a fast paced quick read. It is not, however, superficial but in-depth coverage. It is fascinating.

This book will blow your mind. Quinones is able to totally take you into worlds rarely heard about before. Who knew there was a thriving basketball hotbed in Oaxaca that has been transported to LA? The whole genre of narcocorridos (basically, traditional Mexican "country" [ranchero] music with a gangsta slant) started in LA, too.

The topics of lynchings in rural Mexico, the popularity of telenovelas at home and in Eastern Europe(?) and the religious cult at Neuva Jerusalen are all so fascinating and far beyond anything anyone has probably imagined Mexico to be.

He has an inate ability to dig up and find the most fascinating stories in the most out-of-the-way places yet also show how they often are a microcosmic reflection of how Mexican society operates in general.

The question is: When is Sam Quinones going to compile a Tales 2?

This book is fantastic. I don't often actually buy non-fiction because I usually don't plan to re-read it. This is a rare exception. Quinones is 1st & foremost a great storyteller. You'd hardly notice that it's all true if it weren't for the fact that these tales are simply too good to be fiction. Quinones has a knack for noticing the seemingly invisible. The best example being the tale of Chalino Sanchez (who graces the cover). How could someone who completely misses the U.S. radar of popular culture become a folk hero and single-handedly create a musical genre selling millions of copies of albums in the process & then having at least 1,500 songs written about him? Quinones manages to make it sound perfectly believable. If you're anything like me you'll be mesmerized by these essays.

Cooper is a splendid and delightful character. Uncommon sense is a fairytale meets reality kind of novel that draws you in page by page. I am very enthusiastic about this author and her ability to write in a real life, easy to relate to manor. I just could not stop reading it. Each scene was well laid out, hinting at more to come, with romance, suspense, and true to life friendship/work/family situations that we all know and understand. Job well done...and I recommend it to anyone who loves a book they just don't want to put down.

The best feature of this book are the three dimensional characters that run around inside it. The author really seems to breathe life into her characters, and thus makes them totally believable and likable.

The storyline is also intriguing, and the story moves along at a good pace. Intend on losing some sleep when reading this one, because there isn't anyplace in the story where you want to put the book down.

I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

This book grabs your interest right from the start and keeps it all throughout. The thing I loved most about it is the humor - it made me laugh out loud! I'd rank this book right up there with the best-sellers. Buy it, read it, thank me for the recommendation..!

I was an enthusiastic reader of the rough draft of this novel. I do not tend to be charitable about reading the unpublished efforts of others...but this time I was won over on page one! I am so lucky to be an early fan. The hallmark of this author's writing has to be her zinger opening scenes - wild but somehow utterly plausible.

As for the rest of the story - the pace never flags. You immediately like Alec for his well-meaning ineptitude and Cooper for her realistic response to her new condition. Their relationship holds your attention, as do the other relationships in the story. Thrills! Chills! Spills! Plus it's fun to see spot-on evocations of life in San Diego. One other thing I love about this novel: the author's goodness and delightful sense of humor just shine through.

The best thing you can say of any novel is that it ends too soon. That is true of this whimsical, fun "read." So that's reason #1 for my recommendation. Reason #2: Her enthusiastic fans are already reading her second and third still-unpublished novels, which share many of the best qualities of this first, though wildly different in theme and setting. What you are witnessing here, in other words, is a new star on the literary horizon! Enjoy this first book, and you will be able to say, "I was reading her Way Back When." I am already saving my autographed copy for eBay. :)

This book was recommended by a friend. [the following is from the overview printed on the book itself] ..."Cooper Moody is a beautiful woman living a normal life in San Diego, Califrnia, until the day that a bullet intended for police officer Alec Arnold hits her and changes everything. She finds it hard to believe that her injury has given her the extra-sensory ability of empathy. Now lives may depend on her auncommon sense, and she needs to win the trust of gorgeous Alec. But how to convince him she's for real?"

This book was great fun to read! I enjoyed Cooper's transformation from every-day woman to investigative empath; and of course the relationship building between Cooper and Alec!