Short Stories Books

This is the most wonderful collection of fairytales, which I first encountered in the third grade and have reread countless times since. I'd rank it with the multicolored Fairy Book series by Andrew Lang as world class for this genre. A classic!

This book has been in my family for four generations, the 1912 edition having been given to my father by his grandmother in 1948.

The premise of the story is given in the introduction; the narrator happens upon a marvelous clock in Father Time's attic, which strikes the hour with songs and puppet dances. Twenty-four stories follow, one for each hour of the day. Each story begins with a verse that corresponds to the hour of the day: lighting the fire, preparing breakfast, sending the children to school, making the noonday meal, milking, tea, bedtime. The verses alone are fascinating, as they bring to life the househould routines of a very different era.

The stories are illustrated with Howard Pyle's remarkable drawings. Each tale has a frontispiece for the title, and the beginning of the text and each picture caption is heralded with a large ornmental letter like those in illuminated manuscripts. The illustrations are gorgeous. Pyle was fond of capturing scenes of nobility and royal splendour, pastoral life, and witchcraft. Some are stylized portraits of princesses in exquisite gowns and classic poses, while others demonstrate Pyle's gift for caricature and expression.

The stories themselves are wonderful, full of heroes and heroines, bravery, beauty, wits and trickery. Although there are allusions to mystic and Christian themes, and to folklore and fables, most of the stories will be unfamiliar and fresh to modern readers. The langauge is rich with metaphor, droll imagery, and dialogue that is made to be read aloud. As with Aesop's fables, the stories are meant to instruct, but the morals take a back seat to the storytelling, at least until the conclusion of each tale, and a great deal is left up to the reader to interpret.

This was my favorite book as a child, and I still turn to it on sleepless nights. But our beloved family heirloom is growing very delicate, so I am very glad that the book is still in print. I hope to share it with my own children someday.

My father heard these stories as a child. He read them to me. I read them to my kids and my grandkids. The vocabulary, the cadences, the varied plots and the sheer magic of these tales is timeless. The poems at the beginning of each chapter are related to the hours. Kids insist that you read them too. Pyle always sees to it that bullies, evil magicians, cheaters and older nasty siblings get their comeuppance. Little ones enjoy that aspect. Great archaic words are dusted off along with long disused similies and metaphores. It's the kind of book that comes to mind when you meet a bright eyed new child who has read everything else or seen everything else. At age 70 I still keep a copy in my bed's head board. Rap, tap, tap he knocked at the door.

The narrator of the twenty-four stories (plus an introduction) finds a special clock in Father Time's attic, which strikes on the hour with songs and puppet dances. "Four and twenty marvelous tales, one for each hour of the day" all start with a verse to coincide with that particular hour. Drawings are included to add further depth. Each ends with a morality lesson, which never interferes with the story, but helps wrap up that entry.

This nineteenth century collection is remarkable in different ways depending on the reader. The tales provide insight into daily household life and the morality of a bygone era. The contributions also furbish delightful fairy tales for the young at heart that are enhanced by superb figures of speech and tremendous illustrations with a finale moral lesson. This collection is a winner and will send many a reader searching for other works by Howard Pyle.

Harriet Klausner

I have been searching for this book for quite a while. The stories included are gloriously written and the illustrations are phenomenal. The reason I started looking for it again was because my Grandson will soon enjoy it. He is only 5 years old, but again, I started reading it (repeatedly) starting at age 7. I think I re-loaned it until my card was worn out! I will get him his very own copy and I know he will enjoy it as much as I.

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

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

In Walter Mosley's introduction to the 2003 edition of The Best American Short Stories, he talks about what he sees is the difference between novels and short stories. "A novel... is like a mountain - superior, vast, and immense... Mountains can be understood only by years of negotiating their trails and sheer faces... But if novels are mountains, then stories are far-flung islands that one comes upon in the limitless horizon of the sea... small, craggy atolls inhabited by eclectic and nomadic life forms that found their way there in spite of tremendous odds... I dream of the firmament that lies below the ocean, the mountain that holds up that small span of land."

There are both oceans and mountains behind the craggy stories in "Yes, Yes, Cherries." Otis peoples her stories with quirky characters who have all manner of limitations on their perceptions. As the narrator in one of the stories puts it, "Everyone here looks like they could use a little help."

Her examples of eclectic and nomadic life forms are experienced through vivid details that bring her characters sharply into focus, details that give the reader an understanding not only of the characters themselves, but of the vast world they inhabit. Their worlds obviously extend as far as Mosley's limitless horizon of the sea."

The stories in this collection are surprising, but somehow feel just right as they wend their way through many divergent paths of the human condition. They're a delight to read and a pleasure to think about. They nudge their way into the craggy atolls of our brain and settle there, in spite of tremendous odds.

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

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

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

Dancy Ames is a spoiled little New York rich girl with her future all laid out bright and shiny before her. She has good friends and a job she loves, which provides a nice little salary in addition to her wealthy Daddy's credit card, which she uses to purchase all the little "necessities" not covered by her salary. And just to brighten the picture, there's a coveted promotion on the horizon.

But then handsome Brit Jack Quinn takes a job at Lane Publishing, and Dancy's plans take a swift nosedive. In no time at all, she finds herself jobless and in need of a new career.

After the initial devastation, she decides the time might be right to finish that novel she's been kinda sorta working on for...well, forever. But Jack seems to have found a way into even the world inside her head, annoying hunk that he is! And it doesn't help that unwelcome little surprises keep cropping up here and there and everywhere to add to the general confusion.

With her life clearly on the downslide, Dancy really has no choice but to turn to God for solutions. Can He...will He work things out for a Fifth Avenue princess?

You Had Me at Good-bye is a fun storyline, and an interesting peek into a world where money is no object, and anything over a size two is plus-size. Tracey Bateman has a style all her own, and a unique ability to make readers laugh out loud. At the same time, she paints a heart-warming picture of spiritual growth, emotional development and love in the making.

Don't miss this delightful romance!

Reviewed by Delia Latham
www.delialatham.com

When life gets crazy, what's a Fifth Avenue Princess to do?

First, Dancy Ames gets edged out of the promotion to Senior Editor that she was in line for by none other than her brother's best friend, Jack Quinn. Quinn happens to have an adorable British accent and no clue that she's had a crush on him for years. Dancy's new boss wastes no time in criticizing her work and gets her sent on a forced 30-day vacation.

Then she gets fired. By Jack-who then tries to ask her on a date as she's storming off. How pathetic is he?

Next, Dancy's parents deed their high-rise condo - the one with the Central Park view that Dancy has loved all her life - to her brother and his fiancé, who don't even really want it. And Jack shows up to offer a comforting shoulder, throwing Dancy off-kilter once again.

In the midst of all the drama in her life, Dancy finds solace in the words from her deceased Granny's Bible. But she has a hard time believing that there's a trustworthy Father out there who cares about this Fifth Avenue Princess and her dreams. Will she give God a chance to prove that He has the right plans for her life?

This second book in the Drama Queens series by multi-published author Tracey Bateman is a fun, sassy read that won't take long to enjoy.

Set in Manhattan and filled with authentic tidbits, like a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop and traffic jams, it's obvious Bateman has done her homework. The snappy tone and sometimes-quirky dialogue used by the author adds a conversational mien to the novel and keeps the pace flying.

This novel is also sprinkled with parts of the novel Dancy writes during the course of her story, which gives the reader some key insights into the main character's psyche, which is helpful since Bateman leaves much of Dancy's inner feelings to the reader's interpretation.

Don't miss this cheeky look at the life of a thirty-something woman who finds out she really is a Fifth Avenue Princess, and just who her true Father is.

Armchair Interviews agrees.

Author Tracey Batemen writes another winner in her 2nd book in the Drama Queen series. The characters come to life as the story unfolds. Bateman does a wonderful job of drawing the reader in so that you experience all the emotions right along with the characters of the book.

Once you open this book, you will find it hard to put it down until you finish.

Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (4/08)

"You Had Me at Good-bye" is the second book in the "Drama Queens" series by Tracey Bateman. This volume focuses mainly on Dancy Ames, but her family and two close friends, Laini and Tabby, play prominent roles as well. Dancy is facing several changes in her life including, but not limited to, being fired from her job and learning of a family member she did not know existed. She is having problems finding the right man, which is compounded by the fact that both her brother and her good friend will be celebrating marriages soon. Only after Dancy loses the things that she considers important to her does she realize what it is that she wants the most.

This book contains religious elements but the author adeptly avoids being preachy and trying to overdo the spiritual aspects. Her message of the importance of trusting in God to find the right path for one's life is a central theme. It was fun to see the personal growth that many of the characters underwent as their lives progressed. I also enjoyed reading about the thought processes they used when faced with making important decisions about their futures.

Dancy's transformation from a spineless and indecisive woman into one who is strong and goes after what she wants is well portrayed. The author uses excerpts from a book that Dancy is writing to begin each chapter. These excerpts give the reader insight into how Dancy pictures her life should be versus how complicated it presently is. It is when Dancy learns to accept what she cannot change that her true growth begins.

Women of all ages will enjoy this book. It is a cute story that centers on looking for love, but also stresses the importance of letting God guide you through your life decisions. The interactions between Dancy, Laini, and Tabby are very realistic and will remind many readers of the times they have spent with their close friends. There are some questions listed at the end of "You Had Me at Good-bye" to assist reading groups in their discussions. I am eagerly looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

I was so excited to read this book by Tracey Bateman. I loved the first book in this series, and this book did not disappoint either. It was well written, and I read it in one sitting.

Novel and Short Story Writer's Market is an excellent resource for writers looking to expand their sales. Not only does it contain hundreds of markets, it also provides suggestions and writings from contemporary authors. It is a handy book for the new and experienced writers.
Anne Jones

You've created the perfect cast of characters. The most-compelling plot. Your novel or short story is absolutely solid.

Now what?

The "2002 Novel and Short Story Writer's Market" to the rescue.

This gateway to seeing your work in print identifies everything you need to know before you submit your manuscript - what editors are looking for, pay rates, how long you'll have to wait for a response, who to contact, even tips directly from the publisher. They're all covered in this 100 percent updated, annual guide to getting your fiction published.

But you could easily invest in this reference for the articles alone. Building believable worlds for science fiction writers, the business behind fiction writing and dissecting the short story are just some of the numerous articles included. And authors like John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates and Sue Grafton also share their experience on the writing life.

If you'd rather pursue an agent, flip to the literary agent section or search by genre represented. Choosing the electronic publishing route? Find out if it's right for you and learn how to evaluate your E-book options.

Achieving your publishing dreams begins here. Every opportunity imaginable is listed:

* Literary Magazines
* Small Circulation Magazines
* Zines
* Online Markets
* Consumer Magazines
* Publishing Houses
* Conferences
* Organizations

First-time novelists to prevously published authors rely on the Novel & Short Story Writer's Market year after year. If you're serious about getting published, the "2002 Novel and Short Story Writer's Market" is a vital tool for your writing career.

As a source book for the short story writer, this one is hard to beat. The advice, given by numerous authors, editors, publishers, etc. may be of value in encouraging the beginning writer, but doesn't mean much for those of us who have already suffered through the initial stages of the process.

This book has an extensive listing of magazines (general, specialized, and little), book publishers and agents. As a comprehensive listing of where to send your writing and what the markets are looking for, it is unparalled and for novice writers indespensible. Much of the rest of the content is just filler with a lot of personal stories about publishing or basic tips about writing and revising. I wish it had more about the 'business' of writing: how to format manuscripts, how to write cover letters, how to approach markets. For self-taught writers, I think this is more important than five page lessons on how to write. We'll have to make it on our own with our writing but we have no one to pass on the little 'do's and 'don't's of publishing.

An excellent tool for locating possible markets for your short stories, plus many extra helps such as how to write a cover letter, or query, how to present your manuscript, etc.
This book will not replace formal instruction, or hands on help from someone who knows the business, but if you are looking to break into print, you've already taken pains to learn the craft, and just don't know where to go next, this is a must have addition to your writer's "tool box".

The Spanish version (book contains both English & Spanish) was too advanced to read all the way through and maintain my 4-year-old daughter's attention - one who enjoys listening to very simple/easy books in Spanish at this point. However, the English side introduces a few Spanish words and even has a glossary for them at the end. I think this will create a good inroad for reading it in Spanish eventually. My daughter loved the story which brings together the familiar tale of Goldilocks, but with interesting deviations (black braids instead of golden locks, beans instead of porridge, and a prior friendly relationship rather than the meeting of strangers).

This is a Must have. They story is a Latin twist to "The Three Little Bears". A grandfather telling the story to his grandson. They illistrations are great too. Instead of porridge the Little Bears eat Frijoles (Beans). You read the book in English on one side and flip the book and read it in Spanish. Its a great story and the Spanish is everyday Spanish. At this price buy one for every little one you know.

I like this book mainly for the way its designed. One one side its in spanish only, then on the flip side you can read in english. Its great to read and understand what it's saying (because its an unusual story) and then try understanding in spanish or vise versa.

My children love this book - The pictures are wonderful, and I like how one side reads upside-down - you meet in the middle. My four year old said, "Just like my Spanish workbook!" (We use Flip Flop Spanish curriculum)

Some of the vocabulary they picked up on the first time through in Spanish was frijoles, broma, cocina, blanda, and bosque (beans, joke, kitchen, soft, and forest) - I know they'll continue to grab more phrases and words since they already know all the family and animal names from the Flip Flop book. Great buy! What a bargain!

Abuelo y los tres osos es un cuentito que le cuenta Abuelo a su nieto para pasar el tiempo. Abuelo en su cuento exagera un poco los acontecimientos del cuento famoso de Trencitas de Oro y los Tres Osos. Hay partes que hacen gracia y es un libro genial para los niños. Es bilingüe - en español de un lado y en inglés del otro.

Anyone who has ever visited Amsterdam knows the curious magic of that city, its canal-lined streets, polyglot population, and unconventional mores. But few are aware of Amsterdam's rich literary life. Manfred Wolf brilliantly redresses that cultural gap in Amsterdam, A Traveler's Literary Companion.
In what may be the best in an excellent series, Wolf, Professor of English at San Francisco State University and leading expert on Dutch literature, introduces the reader to an Amsterdam of gaiety and sadness, beauty and squalor, hope and despair. The selections are arranged thematically and geographically and include "City and People," "Canals," "Red-Light District," "Gay Amsterdam," and "Jewish Amsterdam." Among the provocative essays and stories are Remco Campert's "Soft Landings," Hermine Landvreugd's "Staring out the Window," and Margo Minco's "The Return."
To read this fine collection is to come a step closer to overcoming what Cees Nottebom observes in the opening selection, "Amsterdam": "This is my city, a token for the uninitiated. She will never reveal herself to the outsider who does not know her language and history, because it is precisely language and names that are the keepers of secret moods, secret places, secret memories."

Divided into sections including "City and People," "Canals," "Red-Light District," "Gay Amsterdam" and "Jewish Amsterdam," Manfred Wolf's wonderful new volume, "Amsterdam," is both travel guide to this quirky, classy, multi-cultural city, and an introduction to the writings of a number of Dutch literary greats. Through these samplings one is exposed to Dutch traditions of tolerance, freedom of expression, hatred of fanaticism, love of compromise and at the same time the occasional and peculiar manifestations of Dutch small-mindedness. It is the perfect book to accompany a visit to Amsterdam as well as the perfect volume for gaining insights into this imminently civilized city, if one lacks the opportunity to travel there. Don't miss it.

When I first learned of this collection of Dutch fiction, I was enthusiastic about the concept (a literary anthology for the traveler to Amsterdam) but at the same time a bit apprehensive about whether selections could be found which would give a taste of this historic and many-sided city without compromising either readability or literary merit. I needn't have worried. For the most part the translations are first-rate, and the short stories and excerpts from longer works are well chosen, both for quality and the information they convey about various aspects of the city. It is refreshing to see the work of eminent, but little-known (in the English-speaking world, at least) Dutch writers like Gerard Reve and Maarten `t Hart in English. The beauty of a book like this is that it can mentally prepare you for a visit to Amsterdam (or possibly even inspire you to plan one) in a much more subtle and ultimately more enjoyable way than any standard guidebook can do.

This is a rich and intruiging collection of Duch literature that should be of interest to anyone visiting Holland and seeking insight into the true culture of the country, which is far too often clouded by many popular stereotypes. I lived in Holland for two years and enjoyed picking out not only the references to familiar places, but also the small details of Dutch character, customs, history, and lifestyle that transported me back to the "real" Holland that only the Dutch--and insightful travelers--come to know. The selections are varied and of high literary quality in their own right, and are worth reading even if were one not planning a trip to Holland. But after finishing this book one might very well consider doing so.

I don't have a whole lot to add to these great reviews other than stating that this book deserves its current five-star rating. The excerpts are well-chosen and they really help the reader see into the lives of the Dutch from multiple angles. The fact that the excerpts are bite-size makes this an especially desirable book to take with you to read on the plane or in your hotel/apartment each night.

I am leading a group to the Netherlands next year and this will likely be required reading.

A collection of short stories that combine great writing and thought provoking ideas. A unique exploration that leaves the reader still immersed in the stories themes long after having put the book down. There is a reality of truth that flows through the stories which are at times beyond belief. This is made possible by the universal themes of domination, pride and others. A great read that gets the highest recommendation.

This book was amazingly emotionally compact. It was a mental rollercoaster. Having a wide range of intense and disturbing explicit stories that read deeper than the number of pages. Never boring.

If the title of this book suggests to you a series of essays with a clear moral or other sound ponderings which will move you to make some activist stand, you're mistaken.

It is, however, a book that will return you to the days of hiding under the covers, flashlight in hand, reading things you ought not to. Only this time, you wish your mother would walk in & catch you, so you would stop. She's right, this stuff will give you nightmares.

With taboo topics such as incest, rape & slaughter, you'll feel that if anyone were to see you reading this material, you'd deserve nothing less than a spanking & a weekend grounded to your room. And the grounding would be the worst part ~ This book makes you wish you were in a place full of people & distractions so you would have an easy way to avoid the images & feelings in your head. Then again, it may make you wonder about all the people around you, and what stories they could tell. Maybe you're better off at home, alone, after all...

If this sounds like I hated the book, think again ~ I just interviewed the author!

(Consensed Review)

Perverse. There's a 'Clockwork Orange' sense of forced exposure here, leaving the reader feeling something like a violent loss of innocence upon finishing the book. Poignant and sharp throughout: writing elegant, the voice unassuming and without affectation -- a difficult feat carried off rather marvelously. Dominant to most of the stories is a feeling of helplessness, sexual and otherwise (don't miss "The Space Between Us" or "Mercy Killer II"), and while there is tenderness and a loving touch here as well, they're reserved for the characters of purity -- all animals (in one case, a fur coat).

A unique combination of themes. As soon as I finished reading I started looking for more by this author. Highest recommendation.

Yes, it made me think. But it made me think about things I don't really want to think about. A female friend of mine gave this to me and said she found some of the stories "a turn on". I don't see how that could be as they were all but a few pretty twisted and somewhat mean spirited. The author is trying to make a point about animal suffering and human suffering. I tried to get more insight into it by visiting his web site, which was interesting but didn't elaborate. There was a link to a review that helped put the collection in some kind of perspective. I'm not sure even yet I got out of it the point I was supposed to get, but I recommend it anyway because it really got in my mind, especially a few of the stories like "Food Chain" and "John School" and "In the Pride of Lions". I recommend it the way I'd recommend doing anything dangerous. You don't always want to be in that position and you ought to be in the right frame of mind before you go there. But going there I think is somewhat interesting. I was reading this on a plane and was very careful not to let the person on each side of me see the text. I guess that tells you something.

this book was the only thing that kept me sane on my last trip. there is not a mountaineer or climber that can not relate to some part of the book. i lent it out and ever one who has read it (3-4 times i might add) asked me where they can get a copy of their own. all i have to say is this should take the rated to a new level of 6 stars. read it, and then read it again!

AFTER TRAVELING OCEANS, CONTINENTS, MOUNTAINS, VALLEYS,
RIVERS AND SUCH, OUR INTREPIDS SUFFER LASSITUDES OF
EVERY MAGNITUDE AND OVERCOMING ALL, CELEBRATING EVERY
VICTORY IN GRAND STYLE, COME HOME WITHOUT A SINGLE
PHOTOGRAPH? VIVE'RUM DOODLE. BEWARE LEST YOU FALL OUT
OF YOUR FAVORITE READING CHAISE LOUNGE.
HAIL, RUM DOODLE! ALAS NO SINGLE HARDBACK IS TO BE
FOUND...THOSE TO WHOM I LOANED IT HAVE PASSED ON AND
HEIRS FAIL TO RECOGNIZE ITS VALUE. AS TO THE TITLE OF
THIS REVIEW, YOU WILL FIND THE LINE IN THE TEXT...
DON'T MISS THIS BOOK...AT ANY PRICE.

THE FISH...WELL, I ADMIT...I NEVER READ IT. TOO
EXHAUSED FROM, 'THE ASCENT...'

Mount Everest is a mere planetary pimple compared to Rum Doodle, the fictional 40,000 1/2 foot mountain in "The Ascent of Rum Doodle," a hilarious spoof of mountain climbing expeditions. Perhaps the reason why Rum Doodle was not previously conquered was "because it is there"--way out "there"--in the remote Central Asian Kingdom of Yogistan. The Yogistani language alone crippled many expeditions. The language, a branch of the aneroid-megalithic tongue, contains no verbs and is spoken entirely through the stomach. Over 95% of Yogistanis understandably suffer from gastritis. Altitude deafness often compounds the problem. The ascent begins inauspiciously enough with two great circles until Jungle, the route-finder, releases the safety catch on his compass. Risibility rises with altitude as the intrepid six Rum Doodle dandies and their 3,000 porters overcome one embarrassment after another in their quest for mountaineering immortality. No praise is too high for the men who could go no higher. Or could they have? Why are there no photographs at the top? What about the Atrocious Snowman? And then there's the question inquiring minds most want to know: "Can I see my house from there?" Read this book at your own risk--of laughing aloud! But "The Cruise of the Talking Fish" was a mediocre book at best.

I must have this book. The publisher is out of stock. I NEEEDDDD this book to fulfill a lifelong promise to my mom, who loaned it to someone who didn't return it. If you know how I could get this book, please let me know. I'd pay a premium.

TO ALL THOSE LOOKING FOR COPIES OF THIS MASTERPIECE!....I had the distinct opportunity to read all 40,000 1/2 feet of the book while in Nepal at THE Rum Doodle Restaurant! We'll be heading back in the near future and can likely get more copies. Space in my pack is very limited but I may be able to slip in an extra copy or two...let me know if you'd like one.

First book she's come out with in almost 2 years, and let me just say girlfriend hasn't forgotten how to write. Same lovable hilarious kinds of characters that she's known for. I especially liked the fact that the heroine of the book was not tall and thin like every other woman in every other romance novel I've ever read. Kudos to Ms. Sneed.

This book was really good. It was basically about 3 sisters who really weren't all that close, but as a condition of their grandfather's will had to live together for 2 weeks in his old house in order to inherit his money which they thought would be millions. Kendra and Quinn fought most of the time, but Charlie the middle sister tried to keep the peace as much as possible. Charlie is also the one that eventually caught Grant's eye...her sister's never thought she had a chance at all with Grant. Grant really wasn't all that into Charlie either until he statred spending time with her and gettting to know her...then he just fell in love with her.

I look forward to Tamara Sneed's next book which I hope will be about Quinn and Grant's best friend Wyatt. Their story would be very interesting. I think perhaps something happened between them that of course was never mentioned in this book, but kept you wondering why they were so uncomfortable around each other at times. We shall see...I hope.

If you don't have this book...buy it...it's worth it.

This was a feel good book. It was funny and romantic. I love how Graham and Charlie kept crashing into eachother before they fell in love. This book was a beautiful story of falling in love. Reader's will really enjoy this one.

Set in the small town of Sibleyville, California, with a population if fifteen thousand, we enter the world of the Sibley sisters. Kendra, the oldest, is a Wall Street whiz kid; Charlie, the middle sister, has a Master's Degree in Art History; and last but not least is Quinn, the baby of the family, a television mega star. Three sisters, as different as night and day in every way, from employment, to personality, styles and beliefs.

They have not seen or spent time with each other in years. They are now forced to live together because of their grandfather's will, praying to inherit what they are hoping are millions, for their own individual reasons. One sister wants to start her own business, another has been fired from her job. The third trusted the wrong man. Kendra, Quinn, and Charlie feel as if the two weeks they spend together are an eternity. Their emotions run the gamut from humor to sorrow. Unfortunately, Charlie is stuck in the middle trying to be the peacekeeper.

AT FIRST SIGHT, written by Tamara Sneed, is a wonderful story of forgiveness. Sneed allowed us to laugh, cry, and feel pain and disappointment. She also tossed in a few handsome men, which turned AT FIRST SIGHT into a real party. In future books I hope we hear more from the secondary characters.

Reviewed by Toni Bonita
for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This is the first novel I've read by Tamara Sneed. It is a great read! It was LOL funny, and very romantic. Ms. Sneed definitely made you want to be right in the middle of the imaginary town of Sibleyville. If for nothing more than to witness all the comical mishaps between Charlie and Graham. She captured the feel of the small country town, the attractions, the politics, and the sense of community. The main characters were well developed. Even the secondary characters were quite memorable, yet they did not take away from Graham and Charlie's story. Graham and Charlie's story was awesome, you will definitely enjoy the attraction between the two of them. Boy, I thought if they didn't hook-up soon, Charlie was definitely going to be the death of Graham with her clumsiness. Can't wait to hopefully read more about Quinn and Wyatt, there was definitely something going on with them. Overall it was a very enjoyable, quick read!

One of the best Christmas books I have read. This will be a must read EVERY year for me.

At The Manger: The Stories Of Those Who Were There by Peter V. Orullian is a touching and imaginative novel about what it must have truly been like to witness the birth of Jesus Christ. Presenting viewpoints of this monumental event from a wide variety of perspectives imbued with humility and respectful wonder, At The Manger is highly recommended as uplifting, thoughtful, and thoroughly entertaining reading.

This book is a work of fiction surrounding the nativity. It doesn't tell the stories of anyone the Gospels identify as being there-- Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men (though indications are the wise men arrived a year or two after Jesus' birth, long after Joseph and Mary settled into a house in Bethlehem)-- but rather speculates on what other people might have been drawn to the manger, telling their tales from their perspectives. In general, the stories were touching and inspiring and I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read. Each story stood on its own, but there was a connecting thread between them, so the book was, indeed, a book rather than simply a collection of stories centered around the manger.

I did, however, have some... not really complaints so much as vague disaffections with the book.

For one, few of the people in the book were drawn to the manger by the shepherds' story, as one might suppose. Rather, most of them seem to have stumbled upon the scene or been drawn there by the star. That bothered me a bit. I've never felt that the star was particularly spectacular-- only the wise men, who were stargazers by profession, are ever mentioned as having even noticed it. The angels didn't instruct the shepherds to follow it, but rather to seek a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Nevertheless, various people in the stories follow the star to the manger, where they recall half-forgotten tales their parents or grandparents or whoever told them that lead them to immediately conclude that this baby must be the Messiah.

Which is, in fact, my second problem. While the prophecies are there in the Old Testament, they're not all in one place and until Jesus fulfilled them, weren't often seen as referring to the Messiah. That's why so many Jews then and to this day do not recognise Jesus as (having been) the Messiah. He didn't fit what they expected. Now, people who heard the shepherds' story might be expected to think the baby Jesus might be the Messiah, but those having just stumbled on the manger? I'm just not so sure.

My third problem is a little more difficult to explain. But I had a sense of dissatisfaction with the author's selection of characters whose tales make up the book. Oh, the characters were realistic enough, well-rounded and realised. But, they were all people who were down on their luck, unrepentant dregs of society, and/or in despair. While the birth of the Christ certainly speaks to those people, then, today and in the future, the story isn't just for them. I felt by leaving out the well-to-do (and those who were perhaps not wealthy but getting by adequately and mostly happy with their life) that the author somehow implied that the Christmas story has nothing for them, doesn't apply to them.

So, while it was an enjoyable read, to me it felt unfinished, as if the stories of the other people who, surely, must have been there got left out. While these stories were wonderful, I would like to read those other stories, too.

This is an amazing new Christmas story. I love books that make me think and take me out of my comfort zone. "At the Manger" was a cause for personal reflection and a series of short stories that all weave together the lessons of giving and personal sacrifice. At the Manger TOUCHED MY HEART. It is an awesome book to add to your collection.

I must admit I am not usually a reader of Christmas stories. In fact, I only picked this book up on the recommendation of a friend. Upon reading it, however, I found it to be a great read, with excellent writing and intriguing plotlines, brought together by the central event. I would definitely recommend this book for those who enjoy Christmas stories, as well as those who just enjoy a well written, well crafted read!