O Books

You know how there's a haitus in your reading when you're waiting for the next book of a series to come out? Well that's what happend as I continued to randomly pick up books to read as i awaited several books to be published.

I'm really glad I picked up The Principles of Love because its a wonderful book starting out the series. Love's life is interesting and relatable in many different aspects. I gave this book five stars for a reason and readers should definitely give it a read.

Spoilers Below!

Cute book! One massive complaint before moving on to details--the font. I hate being so nitpicky, but ugh, could there be a smaller, tougher-to-read font? Quite frankly, that's the only reason I'm docking a star, because sometimes, it just gets really hard to read, no matter how interesting the book is, when your head's throbbing from squinting at the pages.
Now on to specifics. I have a lot to talk about with the names. Obviously, the first name to discuss would be Love's. How amazing is that? I really want to name my kid Love or something like it now, that's got to be the prettiest name ever, and it suits her, too! Oh, the irony of it all, right? Another name: Robinson. Is it just me, or is the bad guy always named Robinson? And third, Jacob. Jacob, Jacob, Jacob. Anyone else seeing the horrible Jacob Black parallels here? He's the other guy, the friend. Kind of awesome.
Plot stuffs. Love's got the coolest Dad in the world, seriously. I would definitely love to see more about her mom, and seeing as we've now got a box of her letters, I think I'd bet we're about to learn more, and I'm excited. I totally saw the DrakeFan thing coming wayyyy early, it was pretty obvious that it was Jacob. I did not, however, see Love and Jacob together, although I thought they were adorable. You knew Robinson was the bad guy, the first guy, the 'lust' guy, he's always a bad guy, at least in the YAs.
The cultural references were stunning. Could it get any more Gilmore Girls than this? LOVE it.
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I thought I'd like this book a lot less than I did, and envisioned, God forbid, something more like "Prep". Glad that was disproved. Highly looking forward to the rest of the series!

Super witty, lucky, mysterious, and modern is Love's life, and reading about each of her experiences from an honest, confused, and lovable perspective is refreshing and addictive. I just can't wait for the next book next month!

This book is very great and so is the series. The books are short but packed with details of a young girl named Love. She is smart and funny even though she doesnt always see herself that way. The only downside is every book has a cliff hanger at the end so you have to get the next one or like me wait until they come out about six months apart. Even so, they are still some of the best books out there right now!

According to a critic this book is suppose to accurately delve into boarding school life, but I think it accurately portrays adolescence whether it's set in public or private school. Of course this book is a fictional creation, so some of the events in the book are unreal (unless you're the luckiest teenager in the world), however this book is highly entertaining and you end up rooting for this character through her triumphs and mistakes. Another plus is the fact that, to a music lover like me, there are several really great (so far) references in the book that I've explored and have yet to explore. If you like fast reads, good plot lines, and music, this book is a must.

Rivers is a wonderful author and I expected these books to be as good as her Lineage of Grace series. They were not quite there...

When I was a child, I became an avid reader when I picked up my first secular novel, and I was particularly facinated by historical novels because of my love for history. When I became a Christian, I was in such love with my Savior Jesus Christ that I couldn't get enough of Christian literature. I put aside novels for years. I never thought that there were good Christian novels available, except for romances and the like which only seemed to arouse in me sinful passions and desires. I ran across Francine Rivers somewhat inadvertently. It had been so long since I read a novel that I decided to try once more with "The Prophet." I read it within a week and was rushing to order another one. I was overwhelmed by her skill of writing. She intrigued every facet of my interests, from a good story, to a historical drama, to a Biblical edification. The focus of this book from start to finish was the awesome glory of God. I was in tears often. As the book begins, God's glory is demonstrated in a somewhat allegorical format as we are led along with Amos in the pastures of Tekoa where he shephered his flock. I saw Psalm 23 come alive and was deeply impressed by the gracious patience of my own Good Shepherd as I saw the parallels between the sheep of Amos and myself, as well the actions of Amos to Jesus Christ. Following Amos further through his life exhaulted the long-suffering love of God in bearing with the obstinent sin of His people, and yet His perfect justice to deal with unrepentent rebellion. Rivers' novel brought the Biblical book of Amos to life, which I read in the Bible at the same time. I would highly recommend this book. It is the best novel I have read.

You did a good job in getting the book out fast and it was what I wanted. The book is like brand new.

Thank You

God Bless

Char

The Prophet (Sons of Encouragement)Even if you are an avid student of the Bible, most of us don't spend the time it took Francine Rivers to get to know the prophet Amos. We might study the words he wrote but Rivers has brought the man to life. I came away from this novelette with a new appreciation for the calling that God has on a man's life and what path that might lead one on. Just as Amos was compelled to walk the chosen way that God lead him - so are we. I thank Francine Rivers for reminding me that I too must walk in love and obedience - no matter what the personal cost.

This was a great book! I was in the middle of another book when I got it, so I didn't get to read it right away and my husband started reading it. He loved it so much and I had to wait until he was done before I could start on it! And he never reads my books! But he finished it quickly, so I didn't have to wait long. :-)

Not only is this book amazing and provoactive with regards to both historical literature as well as just plain exciting narratives, but George O'Har himself is a great man. I met him in England on an Oxford field trip and I can tell you the man himself is as ecelectic, exciting, alive, and awe inpsiring as is his literature. For this reason not only should you DEFINITELY read psychic fair but, in fact, any book George writes in the future.

Lucid, captivating and richly entertaining - George O'Har's razor-sharp wit, artful use of characterization and passion for historical context makes Psychic Fair a genuine page turner for thriller aficionados and mystery buffs alike. O'Har blends history, humor, adolescent kinship and the supernatural into a lively and sometimes chilling hands-down great read. I can't wait to see what O'Har has in store for us next.

I can imagine that this book would appeal to a wide spectrum of readers: horror fans; fans of revenge thrillers; readers fascinated by the occult; lovers of historical fiction; even sophisticated young adults. I read it simply because it was an excellent psychological thriller punctuated by O'Har's perennially crisp style and excellent knack for characterization--young Adrian Sparke as a character is as strong as the plot.

Devoured it; loved it. O'Har's story spans decades - indeed, centuries - and he has managed to create vivid, dialogue-driven characters in all time periods. This, I don't have to tell the avid reader, is no small feat. His narrative creates both fear and contemplation; in fact, just for kicks, he invented his own language (which made me think of Russell Hoban). At different times while reading, I was also reminded of Salinger, Fitzgerald, Harper Lee, and... surprisingly... Henry Adams. In all respects, the novel is a triumph, and potential consumers - and critics - are doing themselves a tremendous disservice if they don't carve out some time for themselves, pick up Psychic Fair, and give it a well-deserved read.

hey,
just wanted to let you all know that the author is my professor- and he's a really great guy. i'm waiting for my copy of the book, but i am SURE the book is GREAT too!

We went to Ireland last year for the first time and loved it so much, we are going again this year. We purchased this book as well as another guidebook. This one is fabulous -- very well thought out and organized - you can tell he really knows what he is talking about -- this is the one that we will bring with us -- he even tells you when and how to drive the Dingle Peninsula to avoid the tourist buses -- does not give you too much information. He has a very honest and down to earth approach which makes for an informative and interesting read!

Rick Steve's book is a down-to-earth book that gives so much information to which you can relate. It's a wonderful guide.

Rick Steves' Ireland 2008 is like your brother (your very detailed and analytical exploring brother) writing home with the in's and out's of each city and stop in Ireland. Hitting highlights and lowlights, Rick leaves no Irish pebble unturned for the common traveler. If you have a question about Ireland, it is most likely answered in this book; if not, then Rick has made himself available through his websites if you need further information. It is very helpful to not walk into a new situation unprepared and Rick's Ireland 2008 has proved most helpful!

Ireland offers visitors a diversity of memorable places to visit, memorable people to encounter, and memorable opportunities for recreation. Rick Steves is a seasoned and experienced travel writer and in collaboration with Ireland specialist Pat O'Connor has authored the "Rick Steves' Ireland 2008", a compact, 425-page travel guide that is packed from first page to last with informed and informative information for tourists and business travelers to the villages, towns, and countryside of the Republic of Ireland in the south, as well as the cities and counties of Northern Ireland. Of special note is the introductory chapter dedicated to the best use of this outstanding guide for planning a trip whether of short or extended duration, practicalities when traveling, money, sightseeing, sleeping, eating, 'Traveling as a Temporary Local', and 'Back Door Travel Philosophy'. Another special section is devoted to Irish history, art, literature, language, and an Irish-Yankee Vocabulary. Enhanced with appendices on resources; money matters; telephones, emails, and postal mails; transportation; holidays and festivals; conversions and climate; an essential packing checklist; and a sample hotel reservation form, "Rick Steves' Ireland 2008" is an ideal and enthusiastically recommended guide for anyone anticipating a trip to the Emerald Isle.

We have used Rick Steaves books in Italy, Germany, England and Holland and have not been disappointed.

Great Book, I am on the road alot and it is a must have during my travels. Cant wait for the next book?

For all your frustrated drivers out there, help is on the way. So hang up the phone with your shrink and start cancelling all those anger management courses. Laughter is the best remedy. And you'll get plenty of chuckles out this pocket-sized handbook!

This book is very funny and a must have!!! I love the characters that are featured in the book as well. This is going to make a great stocking stuffer during Holiday time!!!

This is definately a book that everyone should have because it a great party starter and brings up great conversation. Its the type of book that you show to a friend and watch them read it from beginning to end. This book is a "MUST HAVE" for those who drive in traffic everyday. It will also make a great gift.

Very funny book with great illustrations, good enough to read over and over again.

Tim Ward writes about sex the way women talk to each other about sex...with brutal honesty, playful humor and savored sensuality. His search for the Goddess is a brave, deep dive into the mystery of sex...and love...and the masculine soul. Not many men have the courage to write about these scary subjects, and I honor Ward for his willingness to stand naked before the Goddess and everybody. Savage Breast is also a fascinating travelogue, archeological exploration and paradigm-busting romance. This is cutting edge literature that defies categorization...but offers unexpected rewards to the adventurous reader.

Tim Ward takes us on his journey through love, sex, history, archaeology, psychology and the ancient Western world in his attempt to figure out why he can't maintain a relationship. He describes very intimate revelations and experiences, he shares his dead ends and over analysis of his circumstances, he takes in information from all kinds of sources, his gut, feminist readings, Jungian psychology, archaeological sites, his interactions with his fiancee, and he describes all of his musings and inner conflicts and essentially walks us all through the process of figuring out a man's relationship with a woman, the world and himself. He fearlessly examines it all from every angle. And he gets it in the end! To read where he started from, with his dare-I-say "typical" attitudes about women, which he does not flinch from describing in disturbing detail, and then to see where he gets to after all of the pondering and heartache, it's just amazing. This is an awesome book. There were times when I was rolling my eyes and muttering "Men!" But one of the things that's so great about the book is that it is from a man's perspective. Men are men, but you know what? It's okay. Just as he reaches a conclusion about the ordinariness of women, he demonstrates to us women readers the ordinariness of men.

Aphrodite. Athena. Hecate. Pandora. Hera. Goddesses revered for centuries by women, who still invoke their names as icons of strength, beauty, and eternal love. While many women have written that developing a Goddess consciousness has transformed their lives, Ward is perhaps the first modern man to deeply consider the question: What does the Goddess have to offer men? In our age of patriarchy, male bias, and anger at the feminine, what do these deities offer them?

To find out, bestselling author Tim Ward (Arousing the Goddess: Sex and Love in the Buddhist Ruins of India, What the Buddha Never Taught) traveled to the ruined temples and shrines of the Goddess in the cradles of Western civilization. He meets her face to face in her many forms: at Delphi as Gaia - Mother Earth; in Romania as the maiden Pandora; and on a remote Anatolian hilltop as Hekate, crone-queen of the witches. The result is "The Savage Breast," the latest example of Ward blending his confessional honesty with his powerful writing skills to draw the reader into a fascinating narrative that ranks with the best tales of self-exploration and travel.

Ward is one of the pioneers in the modern genre of spiritual journalism: exploring the frontiers of philosophy and mysticism through the lens of his own experience. Seeking out even the remotest sites of Western civilization in his quest for knowledge, he examines the history, significance, and consequences of the pantheon of goddesses found in Europe and the Near East. His vivid account amid temple ruins and local museums breathes life into religious stereotypes, paring away the cultural myths of Western society to uncover what is at the heart of our relationship with the feminine divine - and, just as important, man's relationship to woman.

Keeping Ward honest in his quest is Teresa, the woman he loves and travels with through the often difficult terrain of self-discovery as he undergoes the painful reckoning of his own prejudices. Loyal even in the face of Ward's emotional storms, Teresa encourages the author to confront his demons - and stands by him when those demons unleash their wrath.

Fully engaged with the subject matter, Ward gives the reader candid prose, imaginative recreations of sacred rites, and presents a compelling story that is part history lesson, part confession, and part exploration of how the male and female can fully, honestly connect.

So, how can men hope to reconcile their unnamed fears and find genuinely satisfying relationships with women?

As Teresa wisely counsels, "Ask the goddess."

~ Mark Hawthorne, author of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism

You will literally laugh, cry and grow in spirit in the name of the Universal Goddess with author Tim Ward. I honestly hated putting this book down ... This book kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what would happen next.

Basically, this is a story about a man (the author of the book) Tim and his spiritual journey to discover the missing Goddess of our culture. He basically asked this type of question, "Their were soceties past, where it is said woman ruled their kingdoms and they were united under a Goddess .... why did these ancient Goddesses disappear?" ... This isn't an actual quote from the book, but my interpretation of what the author was looking to discover.

His search is more than just where did these ancient Goddesses disappear to or why they aren't worshipped so freely now as they were by our ancestors, but it is an emotional, physical and spirtual revelation of why men treat women the way we do.... Why do some men view women as second class citizens? Why do men get so upset when a woman rejects his advances? ..... And if the ancient Goddess was as prevelent in our society today as they were thousands of years ago, would women still be treated the way they are today? Would woman have had to fight so hard for the same freedoms that men had?

He shows his continual development and understanding on these trips throughout Europe to the sites where Goddesses were heavily worshipped ... On these trips, his wife is with him -- and through the story, he discovers his true self and you get to experience the trials, tribulations, failures and successes of his relationship with his wife .... Slowly, he begins to understand it all -- and you will hear all about it in Tim's fasicinating book, Savage Breast!

Recommened for all men and women to read .... Men, you will learn so much about yourself and your relationships with women, this book will change your life. Women, you will be angry with Tim and then fall in love with him over and over again as he truly works to understand the Sacred Feminine.

I enjoyed reading "One Man's Search for the Goddess. In addition to being well written it was a real learning experience as well as entertaining. This book will make the reader think and, incidentally, will create a desire to visit the sites of the Goddesses in Crete, Malta and Greece. However, that this book will have a limited audience as I believe that one would have to have, at the least, a basic knowledge of classical Greece.

When Mr. Ward appeared at the Ottawa Writer's Festival in the spring of 2006 he made the comment that his Mother was in the audience and moreover, had read the book. Parts of it may have given her pause for thought.

All in all, a great read and I think I will have to read the author's other books.

Juniper already provides excellent technical documentation for their products. Having gone through Juniper's PDFs I expected this book to offer something new. By the time I got to chapter three I realized I'm reading the same content, just worded differently. This book offers nothing other than having a printed book instead of a PDF.

This is well written and well organized book. It is truly written for firewall engineers. Its configuration and troubleshooting examples are very helpful to the real problems. The discussion section and tips are particular useful if you want to know the inside stories of screenOS. This book is a must have for anyone who is working in Netscreen firewall at any level.

The writing is superb! And I love the Problem |Solution |Discussion sections of each chapter. It gives great every day problem and solution. I've been working on a large VPN project and this book is EXCELLENT from start to finish. It explains very well in details about VPN - in our case we also had integrated wireless; policy-based routing, BGP, RIP, content security (ICAP; URL filtering), NAT, QoS, VoIP (Avaya & Cisco), firewall and user authentication (802.1x). You can't get any more complicated than our VPN infrastructure - yet the book explains extremely well every aspect of those features in great details. Plus it was a very easy read! I highly recommend this book if you're serious about deploying VPN and firewalls. Great stuff.

This is a must-have book for anyone managing Juniper firewalls. The writing style is very accessible and to the point. The book is organized so you can jump right to the information you are looking for without reading it from cover to cover. Highly recommended.

Simply put, anyone who is currently evaluating or managing ScreenOS based Firewalls should own this book and have it close by.

The 1st chapter of the book alone shows the most useful commands that every administrator needs to know. It also details the architecture of ScreenOS which is the key to creating and implementing a relevant security policy in any network.

The book is well written and organized with CLI commands in bold and CLI responses in plain text which make it easy to differentiate what the user should be typing and what they should be seeing. (There are also some GUI screen shots in the book as well.) The book has excellent examples of packet walks, O.S. Architecture, and network diagrams.

A huge benefit of the book is that it doesn't bore the user with the history of the Internet or TCP/IP, etc. It jumps right in to specific examples and configuration guidelines relevant to what the chapter is trying to cover. The book is also very current and covers almost the latest version of ScreenOS. A great example is that there is an excellent chapter on configuring NSRP (HA) with Dynamic Routing Protocols (to sync routes from DRP's) and how that is configured in ScreenOS 6.0 which was the first release to support that feature. ScreenOS 6.0 is a very current release of ScreenOS.

As a user of ScreenOS for 5 years, I can absolutely say this book will be a welcome addition to my library!

Last note: Chapter 21 covers VSYS or Virtual Systems which is a major strength of ScreenOS and not well understood by many users. That chapter alone makes the book worth the cost.

While this slight volume can't hold a candle to something like Will Friedwald's comprehensive analysis of Sinatra's recorded career, it's quick and handy. Moreover, while the authors' selections will inevitably produce disagreements, their choices are unlikely to provoke incredulity (no "My Way," or recommendations from the "Duets" albums). And when there are multiple versions of the same tune, which is more often than not the case, the authors give helpful rankings of the best choices. But just to give you an idea of how necessarily inadequate a collection limited to 101 recordings is, Sinatra's absolutely sublime, definitive Reprise recording of "I Hadn't Anyone Til You" is not mentioned. Still, I find myself making more use of this book than any other about Old Blue.

The music of Frank Sinatra is timeless and though the title contains the words "the 101 Best Recordings", you may find that it is just a starting point and find your own 101 favorites. You have over 1000 songs to choose from so your picks are bound to be different than the authors. The book lays out 101 excellent songs, gives information to listeners (date recorded, album it can be found on, arranger, etc.) and tells the background of the song and sometimes an anecdote about when it was recorded. The book is not only for longtime fans of Sinatra's work (though they will be more familiar with all the names, etc.). If your Sinatra cd collection extends to one cd of his greatest hits, then this book can help you figure out where to go next. The stories and anecdotes may not mean much but you can figure out if you want to explore Frank's Columbia, Capitol, or Reprise years. For the experienced Sinatra listener, the book is excellent for starting debate with fellow Sinatra fans or perhaps rediscovering a gem you've forgotten or never really listened to before. Obviously, it is not a biography so don't expect stories about Frank the man, just Frank the singer. My only complaint is that I wish they gave more detail to the songs. I realize they had 101 songs to review, but I wanted more background about the recording session and Frank's opinions and views of the songs. However, there are other books for that.

Sinatra's approach to lyrical interpretation and his unique sense of tempo is what set him appart from the rest. Sinatra 101 is an excellent compliment to any Sinatra record collection. Too bad there is not a CD Box set of all the songs listed in the book so that readers could read along as they listen to the master at work. As a vocalist and student of Sinatra's sound, I have greatly benefited from Sinatra 101. Sinatra 101 has expanded my knowledge of the music and provides an excellent reference source which I have used to educate audiences during live performances. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED READING FOR ANY SINATRA FAN.

How do you pick the 101 greatest Sinatra recordings? The authors certainly came up with arguably the definitive list,and presented it in a most enjoyable read.Another reviewer wished there was a CD boxed set to accompany the book. I did the next best thing. I have an extensive Sinatra collection and I happen to have all the 101 songs(the correct versions). I bought some high quality cassettes and simply went through my CDs and tapes and put together the audio to the book..three 90 minute and one 60 minute tape covered the 101 songs.Needless to say, it was a labor of love putting these songs in order and is fascinating to read the descriptions and history of the songs as they are playing.

While the popularity of the Sinatra persona will rise and fall as fashions change, the music is timeless. "Sinatra 101'' spotlights the songs and the stories behind them. In concise, to-the-point language, the authors, Ed O'Brien and Robert Wilson, offer the sort of critical insights that will send you rushing back to the songs themselves, giving you the chance to fall in love with the music all over again. What more can you ask?

For those of you wondering... I read on a website about a year ago that Robert was coming out with a new novel... they even had a picture of the cover art. I don't remember the naem, but Robert said it was going to be a real departure from his work with more supernatural leanings. Hope it comes out soon!

Have you noticed the other five reviews here haven't reviewed this book at all, but just talk about McCammon retiring? This has got to be the strangest set of reviews.

Anyways, who here like Domino's Pizza better than Pizza Hut?

I was wondering why I've seen nothing new lately from this favorite author. A short search has revealed that he has officially retired from writing as of November,1999. Anyone have any idea why?

I just discovered McCammon a few weeks ago when I picked up a copy of Swan Song at a thrift store. He is an amazing story teller. I now have a new favorite author and am trying to locate a copy of all of his works. I understand he no longer writes - our loss.

he is one of my top 3 favorite writers , why has he stopped . King needes the competion,he is why I love bookes in the frist place I readed the wolf's hour when I was 14 and that is what got me in to reading

Wow! What a story! Can't wait to see what's next on the author's list. I will definitely be first in line to buy it!

Wow! What a story! Can't wait to see what's next on the author's list. I will definitely be first in line to buy it!

This book will captivate you chapter to chapter. It will absolutely keep you spellbound. I couldn't put it down until I had finished it!!

This is definitely a mystery that will keep you on your toes! It has just the right balance of romance and suspense. I would highly reccommend it!

Definitely, a must-read! I got it to take to the beach as something extra to do incase of rain, etc. and I ended up reading the whole book while I was there! Just make sure you're not by yourself -- it'll scare you to death!