Short Stories Books

Hallie Palmer is back in The Big Shuffle, the third book in a series by Laura Pedersen, and if you haven't read the first three that's ok because this one stands alright on it's own. In the first chapter of this novel the main character Hallie is shocked when her father unexpectedly dies of a heart attack. She doesn't have too long to pull herself together because her mother, suffering from the shock of loosing a husband, is hospitalized with severe depression leaving Hallie in charge of all the funeral arrangements, the bills, the house, and eight children.

Chalk full of colorful characters from the previous three novels, The Big Shuffle adds Uncle Lenny to the mix. Uncle Lenny is an old sea captain that stays on after the funeral to help Hallie run the ship. Some of the children believe him to be Santa, some think he is God, while others imitate his every move. His outrageous sea yarns and boisterousness add so much to the humor for which these novels are known.

The other character that comes into play in The Big Shuffle is Pastor Costello. After Uncle Lenny heads back to sea, Pastor Costello steps in and helps run the Palmer household, in much the same way he runs a bible camp. Other characters from past novels in the series get a new light as well. Cappy, Hallie's former bookie, has a beautiful home which he shares with his new fiancée, Texas, a recovering 'Hold 'em' hotty. Cappy's grandson, Auggie, has returned in a steamy fashion. Other repeating characters include Bernard and Gil who have grown to love their new role as parents, with Bernard becoming a Girl Scout leader. Olivia and Ottavio are back but having are ruff patch, and Hallie once more has guy troubles.

Even with the saddened backdrop The Big Shuffle has a humorous and uplifting charm. There isn't a lot of gambling (aside from the title) but there is a wonderful adolescent endeavor that makes taking the nontraditional route seem sensible in the long run. Laura Pedersen writes in a way that is both compelling as well as witty. The Big Shuffle is a quick pick-me-up kind of novel.

From the very first page I fell in love with this wonderful novel. It's chock full of humor, warmth, and family drama, with a subtle message about caring and the bonds of friendship carefully woven into the struggles of living and dying. The main character, a young woman suddenly called home from college to care for her family in an emergency, is well-drawn and realistic, but she's not always the main event, thus widening the appeal of the novel to all ages. Hallie often serves as ballast for the more memorable characters to swirl around her, including a local antiques dealer, his socially aware mother, their minister, the colorful sailor man Uncle Lenny, and a cadre of town poker players. The twists and turns are familiar, but that's what makes the action so interesting and appealing, especially when everyone has a different view on how to resolve problems and attempt to move forward. The author does a terrific job of interweaving these additional personalities along with their relationships so the main plotlines never become boring. THE BIG SHUFFLE is never boring, even when the narrator is vacuuming Cheerios out of the rug or contemplating the provenance of candy corn at Halloween time. Pedersen's standup comedy background sneaks in at all the right moments, and yet she also gets the heartbreak and confusion following the death of a loved one pitch perfect. Hallie Palmer might just be our Laura Ingalls Wilder for the 21st century.

Hallie Palmer is one gutsy gal but not because she wants to be! During a raucous college party one evening, she sees her buddy Bernard approaching her through the hazy drunken figures. Twenty-four hours later, she is trying to cope with the fact of her father's death, her mother's inability to cope with his death, and the screaming, squalling noise of eight younger siblings. It seems she's the only one who's got enough head on her shoulders to take charge, and that's exactly what she does. No, I haven't given away the whole plot - that's just the outline!

But how she moves through these days will make you roar with laughter, hold your breath with shock, and cheer with a tear in your eye now and then as Hallie rises to the challenges which she never in a million years could have envisioned handling just so short a time ago.

Bernard continues to thrill readers with his dramatic quotes and singing! Although Hallie's sister and brother are grossly incompetent, they still provide a very funny background! And Mom's got quite a few surprises up her sleeve yet, so don't go counting her out yet - Hallie's about to get a whopper of a lesson about how life's choices really go that perhaps is not quite what one thought "should" happen.

Laura Pedersen's writing is definitely maturing delightfully and gracefully! The back of the novel states, "...beginner's luck can't last forever..." Oh, yes it can and it has vastly improved with Laura Pedersen's crafting of "The Big Shuffle."

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on January 12, 2007

Imagine you're in college, at a frat party, when you hear your father has had a heart attack. Moreover, your mother is unresponsive and has been hospitalized. And, oh yeah, you have seven younger brothers and sisters living at home.

19-year-old Hallie Palmer faces just this situation one late fall evening, and she decides there's no choice but to head home and hold up the fort. It isn't easy. There's hardly any money in the checking account. Three of the children are still in diapers, two of them infant twins she can't tell apart. Her younger sister, Louise, wants no part in the homemaking and child-raising and absconds to Boston with a boyfriend at the age of 15. Her 12-year-old brother, Teddy, also causes problems by leaving school to hang out with mom at the mental institution.

Fortunately, Hallie isn't as alone as she feels. Her friends Gil and Bernard are there to help with food, help, and, eventually, a job. The pharmacist stops by to help with paperwork. The city snow removal guy digs out the driveway for free. When Hallie crashes and burns with a case of mono, Pastor Costello moves in and takes care of all the children and the house until Hallie can get better.

While the community is there to help, Hallie's old friends are scared off by her new life. Even her boyfriend, Craig, doesn't understand her reaction to his dropping out of college and takes up with another, more accommodating girl.

Laura Pedersen's "The Big Shuffle" is a warm-hearted, entertaining novel, with love and community at its core. It's populated with a variety of eccentric characters--like Uncle Lenny, a sailor who arrives for Hallie's father's funeral and stays for awhile entertaining the kids with gruesome tales of the sea--and is often quite funny. Take, for example, this passage in which Hallie describes arriving at the school to discuss, she thinks, Louise's delinquency:

"Though communism collapsed some time ago, the high school is ready to serve as the Kremlin West should bolshevism rise again. The dark cinder-block building manages to block out the sun and cast a shadow over anyone who dares to enter its steel-framed doors. The inmates all share the same sentence--four years with no time off for good behavior and no chance of probation." (p. 140)

Pedersen's style is relaxed here, the plot not dominant. Instead we are treated to entertaining circumstances, wacky children and characters, and a strong, compelling narrator in Hallie.

"The Big Shuffle" is a sequel to "Beginner's Luck" and "Heart's Desire." And while there are references to Hallie's early cardshark life, it reads well as a stand-alone novel. (I should know--I haven't read Laura Pedersen's work before.) "The Big Shuffle" has some light sexuality and is best suited for children ages 14 and up.

Often, in narratives which focus on the lives of young women in their teens or early twenties, there is an inclination among novelists and short story writers to make the female adolescent journey into life either so uncomplicated and therefore inconsequential that the conspicuous absence of a dark cloud causes us to pause in disbelief, or so downright menancing--as in the brilliant but pessimistic short studies about teen aged girls written by Joyce Carol Oates--that the journey is so riddled with darkness and dispair that the central character is often blinded, then devoured by it. Laura Pedersen's world, like ours, is at different times, painful and exhilarating. It is made gloomy by moments of profound loss--as on the occasion of a loved one's death; but promising even then, when it offers the central character in THE BIG SHUFFLE, Hallie Palmer, a means of coping with her grief while helping her mother and younger brothers and sisters to deal with theirs.

There is something both delightfully innocent and wholesome about Hallie Palmer and those qualities remain intact even when she brazenly reveals to the reader the exact numerical makeup of her hand during a game of Strip Poker, or when she casually describes the "faint but distinctive aroma of marijuana" in a room where fun-seeking college kids gather as a refuge from their more serious studies. What is noteworthy, I believe, is that Hallie can never be defined by her involvement in card playing or her physical closeness to kids who sometimes choose to drift off aimlessly in a cloud of pot. They remain trifles in the exciting life of a young and admirable young lady, whow is infinetly more substantial as an impressive and attractive heroic figure on a mission to bring life back to a mother whose grief has thrown her into a seemingly everlasting state of intense mourning and helpless siblings who must recover from the devastating and riddlesome loss of a beloved father.

During Hallie's journey, she becomes aware of the matters of life which are often taken for granted or simply denied. One recalls that at first, when she learns about her father's serious heart attack, her response is a combination of childish anger and denial:"Huh? My dad--heart attack--impossible!" she convinces herself; "He's young and strong and not even forty!" But later, toward the end of the novel she is able to observe that her mother suddenly begins to look older, perhaps even a bit wizened. In only a few months, then, she begins to take on the sometimes grim but important knowledge involving the physical realities of youth and old age, life and oncoming death; and she generously shares her newfound wisdom with the reader in a most delightfully forthright manner. And so, in this wonderful new Laura Petersen story, Hallie Palmer, with the help of some friends, particularly her dear theatrical mentor and adored buddy, Bernard, manges to turn a deep personal sorrow into a kind of celebratoin of discovery and existence. And we find ourselves literally cheering her on along the way!

As a lover of the french philosopher and his time i can only
recommand with passion his works and especially Candide together with the other stories issued by the so prestigious Oxford
world's Classics -its a genuine pleasure

A great selection of stories where Voltaire shows off his literary style and espouses his philosophy on different topics.
He is a great story teller and has a great sense of humour too.

Voltaire is a master saterist, not a comedian. As with all satire, it hslps if we understand the contemporary world in which the author writes, but Voltaire's skill raises Candide above this level of satirical writing. He is masterful in the use of comedy to poke fun at the customs, mores, and beliefs of his time and show us the silliness to shich theunenlightened mind can go in the pursuit of perfection in an imperfect world. As a commentator on human culture he is followed by Mark Twain. Not that Twain can match Voltaire in his skill, only in some of his perceptions. This is an "old" book by new world reckoning, but as a masterpiecce well worth the time and effort of exploaration it is a timeless masterpiece. I highly recommend it to both believer and non-believer.

This was a first source cited in "A Visit From Voltaire" which turned me on to the man with its lightly comic approach to a formidable subject, BUT I have to add that I only understood it bettert after knowing what role Candide played in the political mayhem of his life fighting "infame," and only after I knew more about his social/irreligious context, did I really "get" what he was doing in Candide. I'd send light readers to "Voltaire in Love," and wannabe scholars to the Portable Voltaire and whatever basic biographic texts they can find, as well as Visit from Voltaire, A which is hilarious fun.

Voltaire's Candide is a scathing satire on one of the more popular metaphysical theories of his day: that is, we live in the best of all possible worlds. In spite of the disasters and disappointments that befall mankind, Candide and an array of companions attempt to make sense of their personal tragedies while shoehorning it into the Leibniz theory.

Candide is well-written, and sprinkled with cute and clever irony. I also enjoyed the references Voltaire makes to his personal enemies in Candide. However, the optimistic theory that prompted this satire has been rejected, which leads me to believe there isn't much purpose for this book any longer. Really the only reason left to read Candide is to become 'culturally literate', I suppose. Don't get me wrong; the ultimate message of this book is a good one. However, I hope readers don't think Candide's lesson must preclude optimism all together, or love, or friends, or God. That fact is obscured to make a literary point.

The only interesting question that remains to be asked from this book is: why does such cyncism accompany 'enlightenment'? Both French and American societies are rife with it after all, so much that I doubt even Voltaire could manage much of a smirk. All he could do would be to join the choir and tend the garden he has sown.

M.R. James is the quintessential, literary ghost story writer. His stories begin with such dark innocence, the reader wanders along, enjoying the prose, while the atmosphere thickens with the macabre. He is very Victorian in his approach, his paragraphs are skillyfully crafted. The only trouble the novice reader will encounter is adapting to his scholarly attention to detail. His prose is magnificent but heavy. The thrill is in the patient reading of his stories. Think of reading M.R. James in terms of drinking port... you sip port, you linger with it, you appreciate its aromas, its texture. You wouldn't think of knocking back a beautiful glass of port? No...Pick this book up, indulge yourself slowly with these stories and soon enough, ghostly memories will fill your imagination. The moods he casts heightens the pleasures of both the mind and the spirit.

More than at any other time since the era of the gladiators, entertainment in America today seems obsessed with murder, mayhem and gore. The Chainsaw Disembowelment Scene has been used in so many movies that it's almost a cliché.

How different are these stories by M. R. James. There are no monsters such as in H. P. Lovecraft, and the spectres which do appear never get to perform any injury - it's always a close call.

The focus here is on suspense. Not, though, that there are any surprises. We know that the strange old tome will yield its dreadful secret; that room 13 of the inn will be infested with demons; that the druid slide-whistle will summon some ghastly phantasm.

The pleasure of reading the work of M. R. James lies in his pretty writing - the lost art of the English language in its perfected form. Reading these stories is analogous to listening to a great musician perform florid music which is always in a minor key.

O whistle, an' I'll come to you, my lad;
O whistle, an' I'll come to you, my lad;
Tho' father and mither should baith gae mad,
O whistle, an' I'll come to you, my lad.
(Burns.)

Over the last Twenty years I've purchased many books and got rid of many (After reading them then donating them to charity shops), but this is the only one I've repurchased.
I could never get the scenarios and characters out of my head, the way M R James succinctly describes a scene or a, "terrifying agent of supernatural malice" have resided in my head as much as I would have liked them to leave.
If lots of Gore is your thing you may be disappointed by these stories, but for those of us who like a well written story told with panache and subtlety, then these are for us.
~~~~
For several years in the early 70's when the BBC made "A Ghost Story for Christmas" it was always the M R James stories that disturbed me the most. But even though I was disturbed by them I was always too fascinated to switch the TV off, and whilst the BBC interpretations were good they never quite captured the atmosphere of the written page.
Most of the "Heroes" (For want of a better word) of these stories are intellectuals from the dusty halls of some Academy or other, who are afflicted by intellectual pride or the even graver sin (In M R James stories)of curiosity! They investigate things that should be left well alone.
~~~~
My personal favourites are "The Mezzotint", and "Oh Whistle, and I'll Come to you, my Lad".
The endings of a few of these stories are not completely resolved, and it's because of that, they stay in the mind longer.
It has always amused me that some of the most creepy and ungodly stories ever written in the English language were written by this most devout Christian of men.
For maximum effect to be read late on a stormy night, and by candlelight!

I bought this book in Paris. It was the cheapest most interesting book in English, so I grabbed it for the flight. It's one of the best book buys I've ever had.
This stuff is genuinely spooky. There are images here
that will stick with you for a long time, and this guy puts in a lot of interesting historical details that make
the stories seem all the more plausible. Can't
recommend this book enough.

I first read these stories when I was 13, and after 40 years, they still flash into my mind if I have to walk a dark road at night. Where authors like King and Straub (excellent in their own ways in the genre)need to float gruesome stuff our way to be effective, James does it all with mood. Even if ghost stories are not something you like, these are worth reading just to observe his beautiful use of the English language. I recommend this collection highly.

Pageturner Alert!!!

This sequel was sooo good. Just when I thought Kai Montgomery couldn't get any crazier, SHE DID! In this sequel the story opens up with Terelle in a mental hospital, Kai in prison and Marquise nonexistent to both women in love with him. Allison Hobbs created an exciting and entertaining tale that will keep readers turning the pages well past their bedtime! You have to read the prequel Insatiable to understand what's going on.

Highly recommended to Allison Hobbs fans!

Even if you haven't read the 1st part, Insatiable, this book will still have you on your toes. The book literally takes you to a climax ending that will have you turning the pages like a mad person until its finished. Allison Hobbs definately has a gift for writing the crazy characters, and she definately does a good job with Kai Montgomery. I recomend this book 100%!

Attention all Allison Hobbs fans. This erotic page turner WILL leaving you breathless. There is just something so sinister about her writing, but at the same time you just can't help being drawn into her story lines. This is a love story with a twist or two or three. Loved it from start to finish. And ooh what a finish.....

Terelle and Kai are back with even more drama than you could ever imagine. Both of these women have lost a lot in their pursuit of Marquise who is now deceased. Terelle has suffered mental breakdown and has been institutionalized after losing her fiancé. But after two years of being in a non-responsive state, Terelle is awakened by a kiss and the voice of her lover Marquise. During her recovery, Terelle clings on to the hope that Marquise is still alive and that they will be reunited once again. But her best friend Saleema thinks she's delusional and worries that Terelle may be too unstable to raise her daughter. Meanwhile, Kai is in prison serving a life sentence for a murder that she did not commit but this still doesn't stop Kai's insane behavior. Kai indulges in numerous prison sexual encounters while her mind is focused on making Terelle's life as miserable as possible.

The Climax is the perfect sequel to Insatiable by Allison Hobbs. This story picks up right where Insatiable left off starting with Terelle's mental breakdown. You will definitely find yourself pulling for Terelle's recovery so that she can get on with her life and be a mother to her little girl. Kai is back and is more diabolical than ever as she tries to get revenge on everyone she believes that has done her wrong including Terelle. Kai's actions were shocking in the first book, but some of the things that she did in this story proved that she was the devil's incarnate. Readers will be extremely delighted to know that Kai's dubious actions will not go unpunished. The Climax is full of heart-stopping drama, intrigue, and steamy sex that makes this book hard to put down. With The Climax, Allison Hobbs has brought a novel that will have you eagerly waiting for her next book.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
for Urban Reviews

... I wonder what goes on inside the head of Allison to come up with some of her stories and plot lines! She takes us back to what, in my opinion, was her best novel to date; Insatiable. The characters are back and so is the drama, it's chock full of sex, sex, sex, and twists that is making this sister famous!

You will HATE Kai! I'm just being honest, this lady (term used loosely... kinda like she is) has got more issues than the Ebony/Jet warehouse. You pray and pray that she will get hers and Allison does a great job of setting her character up. The other characters aren't that swift either because... well... I've seen rocks that have more brains than them. Allison brings the pain again with this novel and you can't help but become a fan.

You will cover your mouth and cringe when you read what happens to Kai in prison and what she DOES in prison! There is one scene that will literally make you feel that pain. There is another scene(s) that will make your mouth drop when you see what happens with Kai and her father and WHERE it takes place! Stop waiting yall! Allison is bad and her books are bad-der!!!!!

This book was not only one I could not put down, it warmed my heart with its tales of life and love (between family, friends, lovers) and its naturally intertwined references to Panamanian culture. Henriquez describes the details of her characters' lives in such a way that anyone will be able to relate.. and, as an added bonus, if you have a personal relationship with Panama, it will touch your heart with references of the familiar.

This book is amazing. I loved reading it. The short stories were so wonderful. I read it in 3 days.

Cristina Henríquez's moving debut collection centers on contemporary Panama where Noriega's shadow offers a disconcerting backdrop as ordinary people struggle for love and meaning. With eight short stories and a novella, Henríquez demonstrates that such struggle doesn't always translate to defeat though sometimes it comes perilously close. In "Beautiful," one of the more disquieting and powerful pieces in this collection, the young protagonist begins her story mid-sentence: "And then that summer when the heart felt like wading through molasses and the streets hummed in a desperate sadness all day and all night, God came down from heaven and paid a visit to our family in two ways: My father returned home and my uncle got rich." A divine visit, however, does not guarantee happiness: the prodigal father eventually preys on his daughter. But ultimately, she imposes her own kind of justice on the abuser. "Chasing Birds" brings us tourists (a married couple) struggling with their relationship as they visit Panama. The husband is more interested in bird watching than romancing his disaffected wife. The result is not surprising but nonetheless heartbreaking on many levels. The title novella weaves together two strands of narrative: the U.S. invasion of Panama and a young boy's unrequited love for a girl who is more interested in his best friend. Henríquez's storytelling is at its most potent in this longer story where she seamlessly blends the political with the personal. Taken together, these stories from the young Henríquez demonstrate a fully-matured and well-honed artistic vision of the human condition. [This review first appeared in the MultiCultural Review.]

I'm a recreational reader who's always looking for an interesting book to read & I read about this novel in a newpaper review. It is comprised of short stores and they are extraordinary - so thought provoking. so incredibly well written. Kudos to this talented young author.

This book was absolutely wonderful. Through her understated prose and organic characters, Henriquez creates an incredibly poignant picture of Panama, in both its beauty and its turmoil. She is at her absolute best in the stories "Ashes" and "Mercury," but each piece is spellbinding.

I appreciated that the Panamanian setting is not overwrought, so that the reader isn't really presented a collection of stories about Panama. Henriquez writes about relationships. Her description of Panama is nevertheless clear and gripping, and makes for a truly enjoyable book.

I picked up this book after my dog died, and I was feeling really lousy and depressed. My heart was warmed by these tales submitted by ordinary folks just like me. This book put a smile on my face. It also will remind you to be thankful for what you have, which will make you feel good no matter what. The stories will not disappoint. Often they seem like made up miracles, but they are all true! The authors found people with uplifting tales from daily life, proving that truth is more inspirational than fiction! If you are feeling down this is the book for you, it helped me immensely!

I personally have not read the entire book because I purchased it for my sister as one of her christmas gifts but the stories are both comforting and encouraging a good book for those in the snow belt to curl up with a nice hot cup of cocoa and read by the fireplace

With a new introduction and several new stories, A Cup of Comfort Classic Edition will bring joy and inspiration to another decade of readers. This is the book that started the Cup of Comfort series, and it is as good as it was years ago when first published. The stories are so varied- some funny, some warm, some sad, yet all carrying a message of hope and inspiration. You can read the book from cover to cover when feeling blue, or pick it up and read a story a day - either way your spirits will be lifted when reading the words in this classic book about real people who experience miracles or the simple joy of human compassion and kindness.

For me, there is no better medicine than a cup of chamomile or orange ginger tea and a book of inspirational stories. So it is with A Cup of Comfort : Stories that warm your heart, lift your spirit, and enrich your life. This book, slices of life of those, who stop and honor what still matters in this country, the commonality and wonder of the human spirit.

Some of the stories are several pages long and others like Lynn Ruth Miller's Sing Your Song, is only two pages long, yet packs a powerful message of perseverance. The Crying Chair by May Marcia Lee Norwood tells of a teacher's compassion for her students' need to express their pain and The Lady in the Blue Dress by Edie Scher is a testament to the power of faith.

This book is by my bed and I indulge myself in one of the stories several times a week and promises to be a mainstay in my collection of inspirational reading. I applaud the editor, Colleen Sell for her vision for the Cup of Comfort concept and the Adams Media Corporation for believing in it, which has branched into a series. There is also A Cup of Comfort for Friends and the upcoming A Cup of Comfort Cookbook and A Cup of Comfort for Women of which I am proud to be a contributor.

Boy, talk about timely books! A Cup of Comfort is what this nation needs to heal. I picked up this book and couldn't stop reading. The stories are truely amazing! It is in times like these that we need a pick me up and this is a cup we acan all share. I was particularly impressed with The Lady in the Blue Dress by Edie Scher and Crossing Paths by Jamie D'Antoni. These stories show that anything can happen if you are open to the possiblities. I hope to see more from these two ladies...they are very talented and have a good grasp on storytelling. I would recommend this book to everyone!

Perhaps one of Oklahoma's better-kept secrets is the work done by the University of Oklahoma Press. To be sure there are some readers that know about the quality works published by the Press such as Lige Langston: Sweet Iron; The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown; and The Western Range Revisited, to name but a few. However, I am frequently surprised at the number of readers that are not aware of the caliber of the offerings by OU Press. Thus, I was anxious to read this just released paperback novel, which is volume 30 in the highly acclaimed American Indian Literature and Critical Studies Series. I was not disappointed. The novel, written by a Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of New Mexico who is of Choctaw-Cherokee-Irish descent, will draw you in from the first page and keep you reading to the very end of the 296 pages. It is about Jacob Nashoba who was born in Mississippi, came of age in Vietnam, and settled in an Apache village on a reservation in the Black Mountains of eastern Arizona. He finds a job as a game and fish ranger for the Tribe and tries to adjust to a life of semi-isolation and "adjustment." It's not easy. The cast of characters he must deal with include his estranged wife, corrupt tribal officials, a resident anthropologist that is, well, different, and various and sundry sellers of "vision quests" to tourists and former Hollywood extras that I swear I have seen in old John Wayne movies. Add to this mix a right-wing militia group secretly, to some, training on Indian land and you have the makings for a first rate story. Dark River has it's light side but be aware that this is a complex, subtle, sometimes violent story that deals with the aftermath of Vietnam on certain individuals(not just Nashoba!) and the contemporary problems associated with Native Americans and their identity. It is not a novel to be taken lightly. I had to go back and re-read parts of some chapters and think about the message of this book a number of times. I would do it again. It's that good. OU Press is to be commended for making this book available to a wide audience at a reasonable price. They do good work.

In DARK RIVER, Owens creates memorable characters (one of his strenths, I think) and tells a compelling story with laugh-out-loud humor. Consider one of the minor characters: the resident anthropologist Avrum Goldberg, who wears a traditonal breechcloth and Apache leggings and moccasins. He shares traditonal lore with tourists, who mistake him for an Apache and call him Chief Gold Bird, a title he denies without success. Goldberg's dream is for the Apaches to turn the reservation into a tribal theme park to attract more tourists and generate income, a scheme that does not gain favor with the Apaches, who are reluctant to give up their cars, televisions, and other twentieth-century technologies. This is by no means the central focus of the novel, but Owens skillfully weaves his imaginative subplots and characters into the central story, his concern about what is happening on a river in the reservation where he goes to flyfish.

I think this is Owens's best novel yet. Furthermore, it is accessible to any reader--one doesn't need to be familiar with his other work or knowlegable about American Indian literature to read it. Actually this is true for THE SHARPEST SIGHT (1992), which my then 85-year-old mother compared to Norman McLean's "A River Runs Through It." She would read and reread passages from each.

I understand DARK RIVER is a finalist for the Best Novel of the West from the Western Writers of America, and I wouldn't be surprised if he wins. He has received several awards for his earlier works.

Dark River, with its main character Jake Nashoba, starts off like the other excellent novels of Louis Owens. The story has great quirky characters, encounters and conflict between native and Anglo culture, different native cultures, and traditional and modern native culture, plus a little Native American magic and mysticism. But with the turn of every page, Dark River turns increasingly surreal. The excitement of the novel grows as the characters all head for the dark river of the title. Dreams and reality mix until it's hard to know where one ends and the other begins. This is one of Louis Owens' best novels and I enjoyed reading it immensely, ranking it up with my personal favorite, Bone Game. My one regret is that Louis Owens' life ended too early and he isn't around to give us any other stories to read.

This is one very nice novel, and Owens has a sharp eye for character development. I heard him read from this book a couple of years ago--and must say the laughter of the audience was echoed as I read it for myself. Let's hope this talented author keep producing these gems.

Tongue firmly embedded in cheek, Owens seems to take on everything in this novel, including his own previous novels. And nothing is as it would appear. Absolutely nothing. It's wonderful!

Owens is a true original, yet his stories are as old as time. His characters come to life and take charge of the story. For the academically minded, this would be an interesting novel to use when discussing the Foucault/Barthes debate concerning role of the author in the text.

This is some real stuff to have friends that are still down even though somethings have happend. I'm wailting on the next part to arrive in the mail. Keep doing what you love.

This book was awesome. I read this book in a couple days just like all of your other books. I am truly a big fan of yours. I like the way that you keep me in suspense and then you let everything unfold in a great manner. I love the characters in your books. They all seem like real people instead of charcters in a book. When discussing this book at work with my co-worker people think that we are talking about real people. Keep up the good work!!!

P.S. - Can you try and write like 3-4 books a year???

Drug Related will have U biting your nails and pulling your hair. I am very impressed with Mr. Glenn's writing abilities. He will have U staying up late nights trying to figure out what will happen next. His characters are all unique and very complex, which keeps U wanting more. Make sure U check out MOB..

you will find a picture of me!!!! That's right Mr. Glenn I am now a boni-fide fan of yours... I once thought Roy Glenn was just another street writer (not that there's anything wrong with that) but oh... he is so much more.... the suspense, the intrique... the mystery ...the satisfaction ...the AH-HA moment for me!!!

Mr. Glenn you brought it....

When Gabrielle Childers hires Nick Simmons a resourceful, street-smart, former Army specialist turned Private Invetigator to find her missing scientist brother, Simmmons thinks it's just another missing persons' case, but soon we're taken on a fast ride of intrique and mystery. This story is deep... and you've got to pay attention.

Sure, Nick rarely meets a woman he isn't attracted to, but he's a man's man and I like that... We quickly learn nothing is as it appears with Mrs. Childers as far as her missing brother or her secretive drug lord husband Chilly are concerned, they're all caught up in a scheme to develop synthetic crack turned deadly... but fear not... Nick Simmons is on the case... and I was with him all the way!!!!!

I really enjoyed Simmons' character-he seemed so real.. you know the type, rough around the edges, but good with the ladies.. he's carrying his own burden of betrayal but he's willing to make ammends for walking out on his buddy Black at a crucial time. (who doesn't love a man who's not afraid to show his vulnerability)

I also enjoyed the way Mr. Glenn kept me guessing... Just when I thought Nick and I had it figured out... Mr. Glenn tossed another twist.. without giving anything away, I can just say Nick is telling this story to a woman who has a history with Nick and his buddies... I enjoyed the story, the pacing, the characters-they were all so real-the plot, thick and deep, well thought out.

I'm hungry for more...

This was my first Roy Glenn story, but you can better believe it will not be the last! I'm about to go back and read Is it a Crime and Mob... I can not wait for Payback and anything else Glenn has in store for his fans.. know that I'll be in line come Feb... oh, wait-already pre-ordered mine! I suggest you do the same...

And I know he won't dissapoint!

I enjoyed Drug Related, it makes me want to go back and read other books by Roy Glenn.

Nick Simmons tells the story of his arrest with his attorney Wanda after he's released from jail-the story is told in a dated journal format, which I liked.

The format did require me to pay attention to the story which wasn't a task because I read the book in two days (only b/c I had to work it took so long)

Nick is a former Army specialist who is hired by Gabrielle Childers, the wife of drug dealer Chilly... Gabrielle wants Nick to locate her missing chemist brother, Jake, she believes her husband is involved in his disappearance.

Nick soon discovers Jake and Chilly were working on some kind of synthetic form of crack... without giving the story away.. a bunch of twists and turns and murders later, we discover the mystery behind this street saga.

I liked that the story basically sets the stage for the sequel: Payback... so much so that I've already pre ordered mine.


~*~ Roy Glenn, add me to your growing list of fans ... I want more!!! ~*~

Some fifty years ago I could recite this book by heart. It was a precursor to my later infatuations with Gilbert and Sullivan. It has not lost its charm: medieval setting, whimsical plot, rhythm and rhyme, amusing observations of human foibles. I relate to the duchess today in ways that I might not have suspected as a child, and make it my favorite gift to other parents of little girls.

An untypical tale of a duchess who's clutzy in the kitchen. Read this story to my daughter years ago, now I got this copy for my granddaughter, and she loves it too.

All my kids (4,7, & 9 yrs) loved this book! We especially enjoyed the rhyming text. Even so the text was extensive enough to tell a full story. In general, most pages have many lines of text. We read it as a Five in a Row book, but I am sure it will be a requested book for years to come. We were able to talk about many side issues including cakes, yeast, consequences, calories, catapults, castles, alliteration, complementary colors. The duchess decides to make a "lovely, light, luscious, delectable" cake but doesn't accept any advice or follow any instructions. As a result, she puts everything in it and way too much yeast! She sits on it and rises high in the sky unable to get down. It sounds rather silly but it is very well written and was a worthwhile purchase.

I love, love, love this book! It's playfully delightful and now that I can get one at a reasonable price, I'll be ordering a copy for my 4 y/o niece soon!

Most fun I've had with this book is rapping it with a friend for a talent show...

This was one of the truly formative books of my youth. Silly and fun and with a wonderful rhyme. I have the most wonderful memories of my mother reading this to me. Years ago, when I first had children, I HAD to find this book for them and it was out of print. I managed to find an excellent copy but spent nearly $100 for it -- and thought it worth every cent! Now that its back in print, I've bought FOUR more copies -- for gifts for all the children of the right age that I can think of. Highly, highly, highly recommended!

This is a far ranging collection of stories from Ford. I liked the longer more than the shorter ones. What I really liked was his comments following each of the stories. Fortunately, they did follow rather than precede them. I really disliked Michael Swanwick's comments being used as an introduction. It should have been placed at the end.

There are three reasons I rarely compare one writer's style with that of other writers: 1. My memory isn't all that great anymore. 2. I'm too lazy to re-read to see if what memory I have left is accurate. 3. Some reviewers are more interested in showing off than making valid comparisons. My memory and laziness keep me from being tempted to show my ignorance.

Let me simply say that Jeffrey Ford writes like someone I would like to read again. And I will!

I've only read THE FANTASY WRITER'S ASSISTANT from this collection so far, but it was a weird, twisted and fun take on plain old heroic fantasy told in a literate way. That's what I liked most-- Ford's refusal to write stuffy fiction despite his intellectual ability to do so. Add to that an approach to the idea that involves writers themselves, and you've got potential for a cult book here. I've bought all five of his books that I could find, and have plans to read them.

Ford's short stories are finely crafted gems that displays an originality of vison entirely it's own.
Sometimes absurdist, sometimes surrealistic or bleakly humorours but always humane and profound,
this short stories are great examples of contemporary fantastical fiction.

This will forever be one of my all time favorite books. I will lend this to my close friends, loved ones, and one day read to my children before bed. This is the type of book that makes you want to be a writer. Each short story is better than the last. His writing is so incredible that it would be wrong to describe him by comparing to others. But, if you need a reference, Jorge Luis Borges and Steven Millhauser tap into the same realm of great imagry and imagination. Plus, after each story Ford reveals his inspirations,and techniques (basically the behind the scene story).
It's a must have book.

Its a sad commentary that Jeffrey Fords work is not in major bookstores. I know because I've looked. I realize they only keep newer titles, unless a particular writer or work has had much success. But still.

Reading Exo-skeleto town in FWA (the first one I read), I thought, Wow. This is probably the best story in this book. Because its so good that a writer cant possibly keep up this level of quality. And usually there are maybe two or three gems in a short story collections; the rest is garbage.

Then I read Fantasy writers assistant. And was proven wrong. Not only is FWA better than exo town, but each subsequent story I read gets better and better. I can say besides maybe the work of Chuck Beaumont, and a Joe Lansdale, I've never read a guy who packs this much quality into each and every short story.

Cheers Jeff...