Seven Books

I didn't think that this book would be as useful as it is. After reading this book I found many things I wanted to do, and have done, to be prepared. While I hope to never have to use the information from the book, I feel more prepared in case the need arises. A must have for those wanting to be prepared.

Few escape a hospital stay at some time during their life, and all should read Jan Buck's "24/7 or Dead" before they need it.

In a very personal account, Jan shares her 8 month ordeal with a hospitalized critically ill husband. The lessons she learned are invaluable. In this easy-to-read book she gives recommendations in layman's terms, check lists and tools we can all use when we are faced with helping a hospitalized loved one.

Jan's book is not critical of the medical profession, but she shows you how to be your loved one's advocate while working with the doctors and nurses. Don't let medical mistakes claim the life of someone you love, be there for them 24/7.

As an RN I appreciate and second all the advice given in this book! It's easy to read, a fast read, and I'd encourage anyone to read it BEFORE they have a loved one in the hospital. The recommendations Jari Buck provides are applicable to all patients, whether in Intensive Care or the Emergency Room, during an extended stay or same-day procedure.

There are some minor medical details that are not accurate, or misspelled, but they do not affect the great tips and advice given in this book.

Who wants to even think about having to care for a loved one in the hospital let alone write about the worry, pain and fear. Its no question our lives can be disrupted in an instant. I'm glad I read Jari's book before I faced my mother's hospital experience. This book is a real eye opener. A must read. So much so I purchased copies for several friends and family members.

Don't wait until you need to know how to deal with hospital personnel, policies and paperwork. Read it now. Don't wait until you need to know how to deal with your own frustration, questions and fatigue. Read it now. If not for your sake then for someone else's so you can help them in their 24/7 'hour' of need.

It's compelling, real and straight forward. Are you prepared?

24/7 or Dead
By: Jari Holland Buck
Jan Holland Buck has written this book to recount lessons she learned over a period of eight and one-half months during her husband's hospitalization.

Jan's husband, Bill, was suddenly stricken with severe pancreatits. This rapidly progressed to multiple organ failure, severe infection, and seizures.

As a result of observing and involving herself in her husband's care, Jan has concluded, "Without the full-time presence of a family member for every patient in a hospital, I believe there is a very good chance mistakes will be made. Some of those mistakes could cost your loved one his or her life."

Jan details their story of hospital stays in four hospitals, six months of which were in intensive care. She has provided the reader with fourteen recommendations for implementation, important checklists to help with the implementation. She has included an Appendix with important fact sheets, tools, and sample legal forms, medical statements, billing information, and additional resources.

I am fortunate to have read the book at a time when I am not faced with a family health crisis. My wife is a registered nurse and worked for years in the Emergency Department. I have two sons who worked as EMTs for a period of time. I have been hospitalized on several occasions. Jan's book has opened my eyes to the importance of patient advocacy. As a result of reading 24/7, I plan to be more vocal in asking my primary doctor questions regarding known medical conditions, review my legal forms, power of attorney, medical power of attorney, and to leave written documents regarding important papers for my caregiver and family. In these papers I will note and have readily available a copy of Jan Holland's book.

This book is a book that should be read by every family caregiver and patient advocate. It is an important and timely resource for those comforting and counseling family members. The instructions and suggestions will give you insight into what you are facing and help you to have peace of mind in knowing you are a part of the healthcare team responsible for your loved one.

I highly recommend that 24/7 or dead be read by every adult family member before a family medical crisis forces that dreaded 9ll call for an ambulance.

Amazon better get a copy soon. I want this book BAAAD. As for Makaveli
heres some more facts.

Starin Through My Rearview
"MulTiple gunshots fill the block the fun stops/******
is callin cops people shot and nobody stops/I wonder
when the world stop carin last night/two kids shot while
the whole block starin"

He was supposedly dead on the 7th.So how can he retell
his death if he never left the hospital alive?


????
"'97 watch me cut these *********** down to size"

Which one of his rivals was gunned down & what year did
he die again? Exactly.


Breathin
"Woke up wit 50 enemies plottin my death all 50 seein
visions of me shot in the chest,couldnt rest nah ***** I
was stressed....,complete my mission/my competition no
longer beefin,I murdered all them bustaz now Im the last
********** breathin"
Retelling his own death once again



****** Wit The Wrong *****
"why call the shots nobody real as clear as me,aint
tryna help the feds getta case for conspiracy/murder my
foes get disposed of....tried to rise but they tried me
I guess they all had to die cuz we tried peace Ill die
in these streetz blast till they recognize..., they keep
it poppin lotta bustaz wanna see me fall I ****** yo
***** now this new **** gon fadem all,my ****** ball
made a call for some backup/the lil homies and my doggz
in the black truck buck buck was the sound as they gats
burst/no need fa ambulance baby bring the black hearse
shoulda never ****** around busta how you figga makin
moves onthe wrong *****? You know Its wat it sounds like
bing bing bing,why you ***** withe wrong *****?! ******
gettin hit when they ****** wit the wrong *****"

Talks about how he killed Biggie.
You cant B dead if your retelling an event you never
lived to see.

MAKAVELI DON KILLUNINATI: THE 7 DAY THEORY
ON THE 7TH YOU THINK IM DEAD,YET IM REALLY ALIVE

I am looking to purchase this book from someone PLEASE but I cannot pay a ridiculous amount of money for it...is there anyone out there that is willing to sell their copy to me I'd be fair about it just not crazy? I am a HUGE PAC fan I have a on going web site about him and his controversial death I cannot beleive I missed this book? This book would really be a great benefit to me and my web site if anyone would let it go?

this book is tight
2pac aint dead

BUY THIS BOOK>>>>!!!!

After reading this book( mine was singed to...thank you Drah) I truly believe in my heart that 2pac didn't die on that faithful night. He dies on the seventh day at 4:03pm (7 again), yeah I dont buy it. Thank you sooo much Drah and Hard evidence group for opening my eyes. There is soooo much more I want to say, but instead I will say Read This Book!!


" I heard rumor I died, murdered in cold blood tramatized. Pictures of me in my final state, you know mamma cried. But that was fiction, some coward got the story twisted. Like I no longer exsited, mesteriously missing?"

2pac-We aint hard to find

Drah Cenedive opens the mind of those who don't know what path their on with this very indepth research of Mr.Shakur. I believe and know their is somethings better off left dead, but Makaveli is very important to the young and old with his passion and his relentless will to make the world a better place, especially for the youth of tomorrow. People in America is so blind to where they don't know if their going or coming. I think it's an excellent and everyone in America needs to read this book. Every Afrikkan American also needs to teach their children about the life of Tupac Amaru Shakur and his struggle for Black America to live in a better place of peace and hope. Well done job Drah!

I am new as an ebay seller and I plan to open a store soon I hope. I bought this book in order to get good, helpful tips and advices. I got them! This book goes in depth in every aspect. Very detailed oriented and this is what I wanted. Definitely a great buy and a must have.

A Gotta Have book if you are planning on Marketing an eBay business. Great reference for the experienced eBayer.

I have been selling on Ebay for over 2 years. But after reading this book I realize how little I knew about marketing my product. This little gem contains very valuable information about making the most out of Ebay's competitive marketplace. This book is interesting to read and gives clear step by step instructions for changes you can make to Market your Ebay items. Like I said, I thought I knew a lot about Ebay but I was surprised by how much I learned from this book!

I've been selling on ebay since July 2005. Part time. I've read 8 books on ebay. This is one of the Best. I have not had time to use the info in it. But have tried to impliment some of the tips. It is full of great ideas and sources of the kind of information one needs to be successful on ebay. I highly recommed it.

This book is hardcore. Give a lot of info and can save painfull hours of try-and-faild. You need to read it.

To pick up Isak Dinesen's Seven Gothic Tales is to pick up one of the world's greatest literary masterpieces. Here in these seven stories we are presented with a universe that's compelling, beautiful and strange in a way that no other author has (in my opinion) ever equalled. If I was ever on a desert island and had one book I would hope it was this one.

If you enjoy stories by J. Sheridan Lefanu, Ray Bradbury, Hans Christian Anderson or Susanna Clarke, here you'll find similar ethereal qualities, but brought to a level of artistic beauty that surpasses everything that has been written before or since.

It is a mystery to me why this author is as little-known as she is - these tales represent, for me, the quintessential short fiction of the 20th Century.

dinesen/blixen was a true, living Scheherazade. this is an astounding collection of stories within stories within stories within stories. beautifully, elegantly written and set in various european locales, starring wonderfully alive characters straight out of fairytales, dreams and myth. these are strange, magical narratives (novellas, to be a stickler) with a modern sensibility. brimming with metaphors that will make you pause. kind of a cross between e.t.a. hoffman and a.s. byatt. definitely going to read more of her stuff.

This is a demanding work of seven multilayered and esoteric stories in this, Dinesen's first book.

We know of Dinesen more commonly by way of Meryl Streep, who played Dinesen, or the Baroness Karen Blixen, in "Out of Africa." But the woman we find here as the author of these stories is no easily-understood, Hollywood character. Her stories within stories are rich in symbolism, imagination, and a "long ago and far away" feeling that is carefully, carefully, controlled by the author. Dinesen wrote some of these tales in Africa, and finished others along with ordering the book back home in Denmark, after her farm had failed. She wrote, interestingly, in English (and did her own translations back into Danish later on). Many books follow this one, including LAST TALES and, of course, OUT OF AFRICA. Dinesen, while the heroic, strong, individualist of Streep's portrayal, is also kind of strange, introspective, and fabulously bizarre. She uses her stories' plot lines as a means, one feels, to work out her life philosophies, reshape and recast ideas and symbolic imagery, and impart creative insights. After getting to about the fourth or fifth story, one can see that she uses the same imagery repeatedly and even the same turns of phrase.

I have read this volume at least once before, and wanted to go through it again knowing just that much more literature and biblical references. (It helps to be well read in the classics when reading Dinesen.) Anything is up for her use, and if you don't see it, something will be lost to you as you interpret the stories and what they meant, or even, what happened. She loves Shakespeare (OUT OF AFRICA was written in five sections, after the five-act structure of Shakespearian drama), and Don Giovanni, she has interesting ideas about femininity and independent women, and symbolizes these issues with women who are doll-like, women who seem as if they can fly, women who are witches in some way or another, etc. She likes to toy with the mind of God, as well, having characters pronounce his proclivities, likes and dislikes, etc., quite often. I found these to be some of the most interesting passages, after some of the gender-defining ones, that is. (She chose her pseudonym, "Isak," as it is Hebrew for "He who laughs" and she definitely plays with many ideas here, many humorously.)

Of the seven tales (The Old Chevalier, The Roads Round Pisa, The Monkey, The Supper at Elsinore, The Dreamers, The Poet, and The Deluge at Norderney), The Roads Round Pisa is my favorite, and I have studied it for a graduate class. In the book, a mistake is the central event, and we learn of it only at the end. Our main character, Count Augustus Von Schimmelmann, is writing a letter to a friend, when a carriage accident occurs in front of him. An old woman, who seemed at first to him to be a man, is injured and asks that he go and seek out her granddaughter so that she may forgive her for an estrangement before she dies, as she believes she will do shortly. Augustus sets out for Pisa and in an inn meets a young man, with whom he engages in an interesting conversation. Soon, however, he finds out that this man is a woman, and whereas before he had been asking "him" for help in finding his way into the city, now he offers her his assistance as a gentleman. Their subsequent conversation holds a particularly compelling passage I have never forgotten. In it, Dinesen explicates a concept of women's differences, physically, psychologically and societally, from men through the artful use of the host and guest metaphor.

This passage is a key to the story's mood when toward the end the mistake around which the characters swirl is revealed. But the passage is also an interesting philosophical and societal analogy that provokes thought and discussion. This is, then, quintessential Dinesen.

The other stories deal with identity and loss (The Dreamers), a ghost who is allowed to rise up from hell whenever the sound between Denmark and Sweden freezes over (Supper at Elsinore), the mirage of lost love (The Old Chevalier), poetry and power (The Poet), the societal roles of women (The Monkey), and identity (The Deluge at Norderney), but these are very brief and basic categorizations. One could safely say that all the stories deal with many of the others' main themes. The book as a whole is an excellent study of the power of fiction to suggest and manipulate, with beautiful, evocative writing and deep and stirring underlying meanings. I recommend it.

These are strangely compelling stories, all of which evoke a sense of mystery and poetry. Floods and monkeys, skulls and puppet shows, vie with each other and figure here in short works that are too realistic for fables but too bizarre to be mistaken for reality.

Gothic surrealism might be the best way to describe the tone achieved by the author, whose real name was Karen Blixen (made familiar to modern audiences by the film "Out of Africa"). This is a reissue of a volume that first appeared in 1934.

Borrowing the author's phrase, each story is "like an echo in the engulfing darkness." Atmospheric and brooding, these tales are part Poe and part Brothers Grimm. Exotic in characterization as well as setting, we are introduced to a polyglot collection of virgin nuns and wandering n'er do wells, who cling to rooftops and journey on rhino-horn laden dhows.

Escape from the ordinary world is promised and delivered, but somehow, the people in these stories also remind us of people we know and situations that might not be as straightforward as we have assumed. A scarf may not be a scarf. The wind may be more than the wind. A scarf blown in the wind recalls to one character the memory of a little white snake -- madness is hinted at, at every turn.

They are seven distinctive tales. Yet, the evocation of place, the depiction of eccentricity, the precariousness of life, suffuse them all. They are magnetic and memorable. Even so, some readers may find the tales a bit too weird for their tastes.

If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction.

Why isn't I. Dinesen's work more widely known and accepted in the modernist pantheon? Her reputation seems to have settled into that of oddball literary personality and vehicle for Meryl Streep, however the work itself would have eluded me, despite a decent education in high school and university (for example, I was given Hesse and Camus to read in 10th grade, why not Isak?)had I not been attracted to this title in a dusty library. The work is about as anti-Hollywood as I could possibly imagine. Perhaps the answer is, she is not really a modernist but some sort of high baroque romanticist belonging more in the 19th century world of German prose; the "layering of stories" effect, especially in "Roads to Pisa", reads like she is channeling the world of Jan Potocki, enigmatic author of "The Saragossa Manuscript," who like Casanova moved in that incredible world of the international bohemian intellectual elite that Rexroth describes so well somewhere in one of his essays; that world of post-chaises and midnight rendezvous and military officers with seemingly endless resources of money, brains, education and cunning ... in fact "Saragossa" and Casanova's "Memoirs" were the books that came to my mind as I read her...reading this stuff is like eating a chocolate eclair with a brain more powerful than yours will ever be...why aren't there writers like this anymore? Was it all only a dream?

This is an awesome book. It helps you to see God's Love and Patients for his people. We all fall short of his grace. This book helps you to realize that, and that even though we do fall short, he is there waiting for us.

I have to admit, I did not start reading this book voluntarily. However, once I began, it was so good that I finished it a day sooner than I needed to have it finished. I found the story to be very interesting for a few different reasons.
First, I have lived in Montana for nearly all of my life, and I have been to many of the places mentioned in this book. I have even been inside the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge, where Monty served some time. Because of this, I found that it was a little easier for me to connect with the story.
Second, I am a Christian and thus was able to connect even better. It was very interesting reading about Monty's struggles with his faith and his repeated backslides. The book even gave me some information that I think will help with my own Christian walk.
For these reasons, and other more minor reasons, I really enjoyed reading this book. I cannot stress enough how true and how important its message of God's unfailing forgiveness is.

Overall, I did not find anything in this book that I would call a problem. It is a true story told from the heart with no motive other that to tell of God's forgiveness. It is very riveting and I highly recommend this book, especially to those who are or have been involved with drugs or are or have been in jail, as well as those with family members or friends in jail. As other reviewers have mentioned, this book can be very helpful in such situations. Please, if you are in such a situation, get this book and read it. It might change your life for the better.

Seventy Times Seven is a great book. The fact that it is a true story makes even better than if you thought it was realistic fiction. It is a great story about how the author, Monty, repeatedly makes horrible mistakes, trusts God to get him out of the consequences, and then turns his back on God again. The point of the story is to show us that no matter how bad we are, no matter how horrible the things are that we have done, God is waiting and willing to forgive us and to give us better lives. He finally gave in and decided to stay with God in the end and obviously he doesn't spend his time in jail or prison any more (unless preaching their) but instead in churches and such places to teach people that they can be forgiven for their mistakes and change their lives. Like most people who read this book I started reading it and didn't put it down. I finished it the day after I got it only because I started to read it at 12pm and I fell asleep at 3 something. It is a little redundant because he keeps getting in trouble, then preaches and has a good life, then gets in trouble, then preaches and has a good life, etc. But then again, we can be very redundant in our life too. We repeatedly ignore God and make decisions based on what we think is best for us (not others and not based on what God knows) and we end up in a mess. This book is about getting out of that mess. I strongly suggest reading Seventy Times Seven.

I first read Monty Christensen's 70x7 and Beyond soon after moving to Billings, Montana and receiving this free book from a fund-raising dinner the author spoke at. The fund-raiser was put on to raise money for the completion of the new Montana Women's Prison chapel that had just been built. This book is down-to earth and comes directly from one man's life and death struggle with alcohol, drugs and crime. The beautiful part of the whole book is the honest flavor of grace Monty is able express, proving to the onlooking world that God's grace is able to forgive even beyond 70x7 times. I just looked up this book on the web because I will soon send it to a friend who is now incarcerated. He, like me is not even 25 yet and he needs to know that his life is still just beginning and there is hope. I have been blessed by this book and recommend it to all who may be looking for a truthful dose of hope.

I read this book in one day while I was in jail, I really could not put it down. This book has really helped me see things alot clearer.

Yes I can follow this one. It is crystal clear. I like the plot and the story of the delivery man. I don't like stuffy things. I like this book. It is not heavy like 2012. Easy easy does it. I enjoyed it a lot.

Matts dad, Denny Thurman, dresses up as a UPS Delivery man and goes to Matts school and kidnaps him so that he can take Matt to his sisters and make his sister feel sorry for him and want to give him money. At the same time that Denny is taking Matt to his sisters, Bonnie is leaving her school to go get Matt from his. MAtt and Pookie, his dog, are nowhere to be found in this great book. It was the best book i have ever read! I didnt want to put it down!

It all started when Denny went to Matt's house to get a dog in Matt's so he could make come to his car by telling him that the dog has been runned over.Later Matt wanted to go to the restroom Denny left the dog tied on the post with Matt not noing.The other day Denny told him if he Matt wanted to go to the baseball game he said yes.Bonnie's friends told her if she wanted to go to the game she said yes. When Matt went to the game Bonnie saw Matt,but Matt did not see her.Then they tried to escape from Denny but Denny saw them leave so he got them back.Denny tried to get Bonnie killed, but Matt did not let that happen.The police took them back home safely.

ABDUCTION is an excellent suspense novel with a lot of good information about what families go through and can do in the event of an abduction. Peg Kehret combines a tremendous amount of facts throughout the tense narrative, such as the fact that most kidnapped children are taken by non-custodial parents and how an Amber alert works.

But the story is the real draw here. Matt, a kindergartener, goes missing from his school. His kidnapper is his biological father, a man he's never laid eyes on. Denny Thurman, Matt's dad, is a gambling addict whose latest scheme involves "borrowing" money from his sister and brother-in-law to raise his son.

Thirteen-year-old Bonnie, Matt's sister, gets caught up in the search for her little brother. Kehret pulls the reader into Bonnie's world, sharing her helplessness and frustration as well as the sharp fear that fills her.

The pacing is frantic as the reader flips back and forth between the scenes involving Bonnie, Matt, the kidnapper, and a few extra characters (like the elderly couple that finds the abandoned family dog, Pookie, and decides to take him home).

The climax of the book is exciting and uses a lot of the Seattle setting shown in the novel. Bonnie is a true heroine, but she's not of the Wonder Woman variety. She uses her wits and her heart, and stands her ground with the kidnapper to protect her little brother.

ABDUCTION is a great read to share with a pre-teen or even to be read to an aggressive third- or fourth-grader who likes being read to. My son and I enjoyed this book a lot, but some of the tense scenes made him nervous. He couldn't stop thinking about Matt and his situation until we turned the last page. More than that, he knows more about Stranger Danger and that there are a lot of agencies that look for missing children.

The Amber Alert goes off. You turn on your T.V. faster than a man running across hot coals. Someone has been reported missing. Abduction is a scary thought, especially when you are very young. Most of us have been told to never to talk to strangers. Unfortunately, an eight-year-old boy named Matt encounters this situation in Abduction!
Matt was excused to go to the bathroom one day at school. On the way, he met a stranger. The stranger lied to him and told him his dog Pookie was hurt. He said Pookie was in the car, and Matt went into the car. He doesn't realize his father kidnapped him.
The eight-year-old struggles through many hard times while he was a hostage to his dad, who also was his mom's ex-husband. Matt realizes his father gambles often, and because of that, he loses money frequently. His dad tells another lie, saying his mom and sister were in a car accident and died. In Abduction!, the author shows the importance of family and not talking to strangers. This book is filled with adventure, sadness, and happiness. It teaches a valuable lesson to go along with the twists and turns of the exciting plot.

Fast-paced intro to the Trojan War

Author/artist Eric Shanower will be the first to tell you (in the afterword to this marvelous "comic book") that the story of the fall of Troy has had many tellings, not all of which can be harmonized. In his sources, the age and lieage of a character can vary. And authors over the millennia have not always been careful to kep their own accounts consistent with the rest, as when 12th century minstrels created a romance between an entirely new character (Cressida) to complement a peripheral character (Troilus) known from more ancient texts. More recently, the work of archaeologists has taught us much about life in the Age of Bronze, from which can be reconstructed the preoccupations, dress and habits of people who lived thousands of years ago.

From this mélange of sources, Shanower has crafted an epic tale in graphic novel format of the leadup to the Trojan War that is endlessly fascinating and impossible to put down. His tale begins with the youthful Paris, the restless firebrand who dreams (in spite his state as a cowherd) of martial glory. Soon, we are introduced into the word of Trojan and Achaean warrior-kings, and to their world in which economic advantage, solemn oaths and ever-to-be-propitiated gods and goddesses all meet in complex and interlocking ways. As the tale ends, Agamemnon, high-king of the Achaeans, has assembled his armada of a thousand ships and is headed to Troy to avenge the breach of hospitality opened by Paris, now a Trojan prince, when he abducted the beautiful Helen, wife of Agamemnon's brother Menelaus.

Shanower gives us a plausible Bronze Age world that may well be the closest we can get to the original. The warrior "kings" are all young or youngish men -- strong, virile and hale of heart and mind. The deities they beseech are notably absent from sight -- other than in visions and dreams; their activity is assumed (and their presence feared) when events occur in concert with prayerful pleadings. But these young men have more than war on their minds, and there is plenty of sexual energy pulsing through the tale. Women play important roles as wives, mothers and seers. The erotic element is kept mostly to a PG-13 level, but there is enough kissing and fondling of the female upper anatomy to heat all but the coolest of hearts. Amusingly, Shanower keeps to the North American aversion to showing aureoles and genitalia. This aversion grows to almost ludicrous proportion as he strives manfully to hide his characters' naughty bits -- even when in full gallop -- with wisps of conveniently-draped hair.

Shanowers' black and white artwork is bold, strong and consistent. He gives his main characters identifiable features -- dark hair or light, full or balding, etc. -- that stay short of caricature. His storytelling is quickpaced and usually easy to follow. The worst I can say is that his story moves so quickly and is so engaging that the reader skips too quickly over his wonderful art.

All told, A Thousands Ships is fabulous on its own merits, and a valuable as an introduction to the Homeric masterpieces -- the Iliad and the Odyssey. Highly recommended for the age 13-and-up set.

This is the first volume in a projected seven-part graphic novel series devoted to the epic of the Trojan War. There are minor gaffes (occasional misspellings, etc.) but overall this is a powerful and immensely useful retelling of one of the greatest epic stories in human history. Shanower draws on multiple sources to come up with a cohesive, readily coherent narrative of what is often seen as a daunting story. He both expands on and simplifies the classic narrative by Homer, giving a more immediate, modern feel to the characters and events, but does not sacrifice the authenticity of time or place: Shanower makes these ancient events accessible to modern readers in a way that the best of Western Civ classes may not; indeed, academics for many years to come with probably turn to these comics as a way to give entry into the world of Greek history and mythology.

This first volume covers the abduction of Helen, the arousal of the great Spartan army, the beginning of the cult of Achilles, and ends as the Spartan fleet sets sail to attack Troy. In general, Shanower minimizes the magical/mythological aspects of ancient Greek culture -- a centaur, for example, is not seen as a half-horse beast-man, but rather as a shaggy, burly man; various characters claim relationships to various gods, but we never see Athena's visage floating over the clouds, or Poseidon rising from the sea. Unlike in the original narratives, the Olympian gods are not characters in the story itself -- people pay allegiance to them, and discuss them as figures that may control their destinies, but we do not see the gods themselves. This realism helps make the historical context come alive -- modern readers don't have to struggle past supernatural events, nor allow the supernatural to overwhelm the human drama, and what emerges is a clear, concise historical narrative, one that makes sense and makes clear the essential stories behind the great, epic tale. It's pretty cool... I'm looking forward to the second volume! (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain book reviews)

I just ripped through A Thousand Ships and the second book in the series, Sacrifice, in two days and I'm bowled over. What a tour de force these books are. Shanower seamlessly incorporates all the myths entwined in the Trojan War. An incredible feat by itself, it's even more impressive because he achieves this without bogging down what is, after all, a ripping good story.

In the course of the book, Shanower offers some interesting insights on some of the more puzzling and disturbing events (Iphigenia's sacrifice comes to mind). I also was impressed by how he developed the characters. For instance, he convincingly portrays Odysseus changing from a clever Trojan War draft-dodger to a gung-ho warrior by the end of the second book.

I can't wait for Shanower's next book in the series. Until then, I'm pressing these books on everyone I know. They're THAT good. Bravo!

This book reprints the first nine issues of the Age of Bronze comic books. It's a beautifully drawn, well written comic book about the Trojan War. The only problem I have with the comic, and it'a a minor problem, is that there are so many characters, it's hard to keep track of who's who. Highly recommended to fans of graphic literature.

A Thousand Ships is the first in a series of comics which retell the story of the Trojan war in comic book form. It begins with Paris, the lost prince of Troy who has been raised by farmers as a farmer, making his first ever journey to the capital. He tells his girlfriend it's a short trip, but even before he leaves the oracles are speaking and don't seem to agree. Meanwhile, Achillies is just leaving boyhood and, when confronted with the choice of short life and fame in war versus a long life that won't be remembered, he is very much for the short glorious life. His mother has other plans and struggles to save him from himself.

The plot is extremely intricate. It all comes from mythology, and there's a lot there to pull from. Doing the Illiad in seven comics makes sense. One book would only have allowed for the outline of the story. By breaking it into more books, the story is more complete and here the Illiad has been adapted well to the medium.

Graphically the book is well drawn. I'm guessing that the big challenge here was to keep faces consistent so that all the characters can be told apart. There are many, many characters and they are recognizable from frame to frame, if that helps to tell you the level of detail. The storytelling and how layouts play into that is good too. Layouts help to blend in and reveal characters's backstories (and everyone has a back story in mythology) and to communicate oracles and messages from the various gods.

This is a good read as a comic book. Being a modern take on the Illiad, which concievably someone might someday make you read, is an added bonus. Libraries should definitely stock this series. For individuals and families this is a good buy for a comic book, and a pretty good read. You should already know this, but if you don't then here goes, many of the classics have a lot of sex and violence. So, don't buy this for your four year old if you don't want them to see naked people and drawings of smeared entrails.

This volume is exceptional, just like all the other ones. A lot of mysteries are solved in this book but some other mysteries pop up too. I suggest you buy this book... you won't regret it.

this is a great kids book! very romantic and alot of koge donbo cuteness! I luv it! although, isnt it weird how karin doesnt realize kirika is evil? maybe she doesnt realize because shes failing school!
still the cutest manga ever!

I really love Kamichama Karin. I've collected the whole set. I kind of recommend older mature kids to read it, like from 12+. Let's just say that volumes 3 and 6 are kind of, ahem, ODD. I shall not tell you what oddness it is, as I do not want to be a spoiler. But overall, Kamichama Karin is a super funny story!!

OK, I love this series! Spoilers ahead! This book introduces the weirdest character in any manga I've EVER read: Micchi hate 'im. He introduces him self to the class, and on the way to his seat, hears Karin's name, gives her a kiss on the cheek. He's apparently heard of her before. Then, he hears Kazune's name and gives him a kiss on the lips (a random girl: must..e-mail..everyone!). He then starts flirting with Karin relentlessly, despite the fact that she hates it. Once, he grabs her, despite her protests, and gives Kazune a mysterious look, along the lines of "hey, look, I can hug her. Ha,ha." Could Kazune like Karin? The book ends with him pinning down Kazune, saying that he owes him a favor. Hmm... I love the romantic tension and fights!! ;P

As far as the plot goes, Kamichama Karin is a rather generic 'magical girl' story- an ordinary girl suddenly gains magic powers (wowie zowie!) and is forced to fight evil. Sound familiar?
All the characters seem, at first glance at least, to be nothing more than flat archetypes. There's the kind, sweet, motherly girl; the mean, rude, expert fighter guy; the nauseatingly 'normal' girl (the main character, of course); the dashing, polite, gorgeous male love interest; the wisecracking cute mascot. Yes, they're all here.
Not helping matters is the incredibly poor dialogue. For some reason, the translators felt obliged to pump it full of incredibly irritating slang at bizarre moments. This is especially strange-sounding when you realise that half the cast consists of wealthy kids who probably would have been brought up to be extremely polite.
However, even with all of its faults, Kamichama Karin is quite entertaining. It is genuinely funny at times (although the later volumes seem to be less so), and there really are some really heartwarming bits. And it's cute. Good grief, is it cute. I practically had a heart attack while reading the extra chapter in volume 3. Kamichama Karin was drawn by cuteness expert Koge-Donbo (of Di Gi Charat fame), and it shows.
In short, the plot is only okay, while there is some humour and general 'warm fuzzy feeling'-ness. And it's very, very, very cute.

After spending the previous summer in a magical world where humans are only a legend, Felix settles in back at home for a nice, normal life with his parents. During his trip to the magical world the previous year, Felix's heart condition had been cured with magic, so he is able to finally engage in the kinds of normal activities he has always dreamed of.

But a quiet life is not in the cards for Felix. One day, he is shocked to find his enemy from the magical world, Snakeweed, standing on the front porch. The evil Snakeweed had managed to sneak into the human world. He did not find it to his liking, however, so he sought out Felix to give him the spell to return to his own magical world. As a means to force Felix into giving up the return spell, Snakeweed puts a spell on Felix's parents that turns them into marble statues. Felix soon realizes that he must return to the magical world and enlist his friends' help once again in order to free his parents.

BACK TO THE DIVIDE is a fine sequel for readers who enjoyed Divide, the first book in the trilogy. I must admit, though, that I was not as entertained by it as I was by the original. Perhaps that is largely because the novelty of the magical world was wearing off. But what bothered me more was that the book seemed to focus on an awful lot of traveling. It felt like Felix and his companions moved back and forth across the magical world a dozen times during the story. I'm sure they didn't, but it felt that way at times.

Despite these complaints, I was pleased to see that the fun creatures from Divide were back in this sequel, including giant, bird-like, math-obsessed brazzles and evil, shape-shifting sinistroms. Also, in addition to the main quest in the magical world, there was an interesting sub-plot about how the spell that turned Felix's parents to marble was threatening to destroy the entire non-magical world. This added some tension to the story. And, like its predecessor, BACK TO THE DIVIDE has a great cover that is split in the middle. It does not necessarily contribute to the story, but it is a unique feature nonetheless, that might add to the experience of the book for some readers.

Overall, for those who enjoyed their first journey across the Divide, I recommend a return trip.

Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan

Back To The Divide is a good book to read. It's about a boy named Felix and his friends Betony and Ironclaw. All Three of them have to stop a japegrin named Snakeweed from making his way into Felix's dimension before he can shoe the humans magic.

I think this would be a great book for kids with an imagination. The book has creature like a tangle-person, a brazzle or griffen, brittlehorn or a unicorn and a japegrin or pixie.

In the first book we know Felix goes back and lives happily with his family. But we also know Snake Weed is there too. So Snake Weed turns Felix's happy family in to marble. And could just turning two people to stone effect the whole world? Now Felix must once again cross the divide. And Felix discovers that the magical world is in danger too. Many twists in this story happen. And wait till you meet the new member of this story and her name is......Fuzzy.

okay... so i read the Divide about a year ago, and when i got this bok for $1 (NEW! the inside cover was just a bit bended) and started it, it was surprising how fast it moved. Snakeweed has frozen his parents, and Felix needs to go back the to Divide to find a cure. This adventure leads him, Betony, Ironclaw, and Thornbeak everywhere- even a ride on a magic carpet to a place sort of like Arabia!

Soooo good I would definitely recommmend it!

To save his own world from a disaster caused by the evil Snakeweed, Felix has to go back across the Divide to Betony's world, with its rich cast of mythical creatures. There he meets all his old friends, and has another series of adventures with them - together with some memorable new characters, including a versifying cyclops, a deadly sphinx, a magic carpet with attitude and the adorable(?) chick Fuzzy.

Elizabeth Kay has achieved something unusual here: she has written a sequel that is even better than the original. Anyone who enjoyed her debut fantasy "The Divide" will certainly want to read this one.

Chilling and riveting, angering and thought-provoking. We start off meeting Suzie, the "box" she puts herself in, and the "cloud" she floats on. A safe, quiet world. A world where her mother can't make Suzie talk...because if Suzie can't talk, then she can't say things to anger her mother and cause her mother to hurt her. Suzie stops sleeping. She stops talking to her mother, her sister, her father, her best friend. Everyone. She stops walking. The one thing she can't stop doing is crying. She retreats into this safe box, those safe clouds, hiding, until she is finally taken get help.

This is a beautifully written that book takes takes a frank look at the family dynamics of co-dependency and abuse, and leads the reader on a journey through Suzie's healing process. The reader will root for Suzie as she opens up and starts to trust. After a dramatic breakthrough, Suzie alters the lives of her sister and herself forever.

Twelve-year-old Suzie has just been dropped off at St. Dorothy's mental hospital after she stops walking, sleeping, or speaking. The only time she feels safe is when she is inside her 'box,' and that's usually how she stays all day long, sitting in a chair with her knees up to her chin, unmoving. Her Uncle Elliot, disturbed by her ever-worsening behavior, initiates her eventual stay at the hospital.

There are already several summaries up for this book, so I think there really isn't a need for me to give another one; plus, I don't want to spoil anyone. I do want to say that Susan Shaw's debut novel is a very beautiful, sweet, and sad story that follows Suzie's struggle to distance herself from the world as she has been doing, and the eventual revealing, through her, of what happened and why she has become the way she is. I was very drawn into the story and her relationships; from her mother, a former singer, her father, her sister Deanna, Karen, a girl in the institution, her uncle Elliot, aides: Marie, Stella, and Bill, and Moses and Joshua, two other children in the institution. The story was moving and powerful, with moments of quiet as Suzie gained a new view of her world and shattering revelations, with characters to care about and hope the best for.

I think this is a wonderful story, not to be missed. It is one of the best books I have read all year long.

I haven't read this in a while, but I intend to read it again soon. This book is extremely intresting, it wraps you up, so that you're forced to turn the page. It almost makes you feel as though you are in the mental institution with Suzie. I do remember that her recovery was suprizingly quick, but Suzie also says that her problem is not completely solved, making the book very realistic.
I love how Suzie defines talking by how you express yourself, not by the actual words.
Hating pineapple is talking...Wearing Peacock feathers is talking...

Black Eyed Suzie is one of the best books I've pulled off the shelves yet. For one thing, it is just a wonderfully written story. True, believable character that you can simpathize and relate with on a totally amazing level. The plot is one that drags you and and forces you to keep reading, no matter what. And after you finish it, you'll end up taking it out and rereading it again and again.

I think troubled teens should give this story, or one like it, a shot. It helps to bring the thought that 'Hey, I'm not the only screwed up person out there.' Over all, a wonderful read that I will return to every chance I get.

The book I am reading is called Black Eyed Suzie by Susan Shaw. Ever since Suzie's mom abused her, Suzie stopped talking. Eventually Suzie's Uncle Elliot saw her and made her go to a mental hospital. At the mental hospital people try to get her to talk but she can't. She feels she has no words.
The conflict in this book is that Suzie can't talk but people try to force her to. At the mental hospital she has conflicts with only one other girl, Karen. Karen pushes her down and breaks her possessions, but Suzie can't do anything because she is too weak. Often, when people at the hospital help her, they're a little too late. After a while in the mental hospital she thinks, `well maybe if I start talking they will let me go to be with my family.' The conflict starts, like I said, when her mom beats her and her dad is never home. The conflict is not easy to resolve for Suzie.
I think that Black Eyed Suzie is good for teenagers who have a problem, who want to learn what kind of problem people have, or just want to read a good book. I think almost anyone would enjoy this book, but I think really teenagers would enjoy it most. I would tell you the ending but I think you can read it and find out.