Seven Books

An inspiring read which has the potential to change your life providing you actively apply the principles.

Written by international speaker and spiritual counselor Caroline Reynolds, Spiritual Fitness: How to Live in Truth and Trust offers a simple, seven week procedure for fostering purpose and sacredness in one's everyday life. Chapters cover how to detox one's soul, learn to meditate, seek one's role in life, and embrace the sacred aspect of relationships. Written in plain terms to be accessible to lay readers, Spiritual Fitness is a welcome repository of good counsel for emotional and spiritual health. "Soul level forgiveness is not about condoning or absolving someone's outrageous behavior. It means escaping from the painful zone of dealing with them only on an earthly, fear-based and limiting level. To forgive truly you must lift up your thinking to a soul level. Somehow you can find a present-day gift in this memory."

This book is definitely an "In Your Face" program. Each chapter presents full frontal examination of your Spirituality.

Unless you do the exercises at the end of each chapter, you are missing the full benefit of the book.

I highly recommend you use this book in a class or at least working with one other person to discuss what comes up for you.

I'll admit that I bought this to do research, to see what else was out there on the market that's in the genre we publish. What I discovered was a great book, written in an easy style, with practical exercises (I'll echo another reviewer here: DO the exercises. Really.). What I found especially thought provoking was early in the book when Reynolds talks about the "payoffs" for not getting what you say you want. Given that her discussion about that starts on page 11, it was a lot like "you had me at hello" and I dove into the rest of the book with a new outlook. Definitely a good read, and definitely do the exercises!

When I began this book, my expectations were that I'd pick up a few tips and practices that might help on the distraction-packed road toward more mindful living. I was totally surprised, however, both by the book's depth and the eloquence with which Reynolds writes.

Each chapter takes a down-to-earth look at a spiritual principle, then further grounds it in simple but powerful exercises that I actually found myself wanting to do. Most importantly, I wanted to do them again.

It's organized as a week-to-week program, and I went through it that way rather quickly and have found myself returning to particularly challenging areas again and again. Luckily, the book not only invites rereading, but rewards it -- many of the exercises that didn't resonate for me (and thus I skipped the first time through) were actually quite powerful the second (or, okay, third... fourth) time around.

There are plenty of books about spirituality out there, and sometimes it's easier to just move on to the next one hoping "it" will change your life. Reynolds clearly recognizes that change is your choice, not some formula, and she gives you powerful tools to recognize your blocks and finally get past them.

This story wasn't so much written by King as it was told through him. Rolands world takes on a life of it's own. 20+ years in the making, the journey to the Dark Tower is finally complete. Although more that 20 books that King has written tie into the story in one way or another.

If you are a fan of King's writing, then you owe it to yourself to at least pick up the first book, The Gunslinger and see if it is to your liking. After reading it in the mid 90's, I found myself hooked and longing for the rest of the story. 4000 pages and 6 books later, I have it and now wish to read the rest of his works pertaining to the world of Roland of Gilead, Son of Steven Deschain.

The Dark Tower Sh

The gunslinger is a good book that I would give four stars because it keeps you wanting more and is a whole different world. At the same time the world is the same world we live in today and back when there used to be cowboys that roamed in one world. It gives a different interesting setting and people that are not we as we think of people today. This all involves the gunslinger following a man in black that the gunslinger plans on killing. He does not know why he is following the man in black and why he must kill him, but he continues to do what he was trained to do. He was the last of the gunslingers. This book is not like any other book I have read before. I enjoyed this book and would love to read the rest of the books in the Dark Tower series and I hope you would enjoy to read this book as well.

I read all the Dark Tower series about 2 years ago, I am left hanging after Wizard and Glass!!! When is the next one coming out or is it already? That was #5 I think, where is #6? These are fantastic books, I was shocked to realize that if you havn't read just about all his other books, you won't understand as well. Hurry up and get writing Steven!

I loved the book (The Drawing of the Three)but I didn' quite understand the ending. If anyone can explain it to me please e-mail me.

the dark tower series is one of the reasons im reading at all. they are all excellent. if anyone knows when #5 will be out please email me

Yes, you must read it. This book tells about two girls that live 100 years apart that think that life in 100 years or 100 years ago will be better than the life they lead. So, while Amber is transported back in time, Ada is transported forward in time with the help of a mysterious wishing well. Both girls must go to orphanages, as they have no family in this strange time, and both figure out that life in either time isn't what they thought it would be. Now they long for home. But they have one problem. How in the world are they going to get home?
A book filled with suspense and fantasy is the best book, in my mind. The only thing wrong with this one: the author never reveals what creature was in the well. Still, I would highly recomend this book for anyone who loves fantasy.

Switching Well is one of the best yet most confusing novels I've ever read. As they switch times through chapters it was kind of confusing. Peni R. Griffen sure has a way of grasping your interests.
The quality of the book on a scale of 1-10 would be 91/2. Most of the characters are almost real. You can feel the emotions they face and the hardships they endured. My favorite character is Ada because as she experiences the modern world it is just one more discovery after another. This character is special to me because even though her father believes women are inferior she still tries to earn his respect. The author did a masterful job in development of characters. Peni R. Griffen was able to grasp my interests and hold on throughout the entire novel. As she switched off characters she would leave you with many questions such as: What about Ada? Will Amber be in trouble? etc. My favorite scenes in the book are when Ada and Mrs. Bauer hang out with each other because they were interesting. I wouldn't have made any changes. I think Peni R. Griffen's way was the only good way this novel could have been written.
From this book I learned to take nothing for granted and that you never know how important something is to you until it's gone.

Switching Well, written by Peni R. Griffin is an outstanding narrative about two girls who switch centuries in a magic well and can't reach their times. Ada is a 13 year old girl with a peaceful and normal personality. Amber is a spunkier girl but feels sad when she finds out her parents are divorcing. They meet new friends, people that aren't very nice, and have to lie along the way, but somehow tell the truth. The girls learn about one another because people think they're missing. I recomend this book... it's absalutly fastinating.

Switching Well by Peni R. Griffin has two main characters. The first is twelve-year-old Ada Bauer, who lives in San Antonio, Texas, in 1891. Women in her time are not considered as important as men, and her father thinks so. Her teacher was tempted to fail her essay about a woman's rights. So she goes to the Haunted Lot and wishes in the well to live a hundred years in the future. The second main character is twelve-year-old Amber Burak, who also lives in San Antonio, but in 1991. Her parents are thinking about getting divorced, and she seems to be the last to know. She, too, goes to the Haunted Lot and wishes in the well that she lived a hundred years in the past. Ada and Amber switch places and are completely confused in their new lives. They try to wish themselves back home, but it doesn't work. The longer they stay a hundred years away, they wonder if they will ever be able to get home.

Yes, you must read it. This book tells about two girls that live 100 years apart that think that life in 100 years or 100 years ago will be better than the life they lead. So, while Amber is transported back in time, Ada is transported forward in time with the help of a mysterious wishing well. Both girls must go to orphanages, as they have no family in this strange time, and both figure out that life in either time isn't what they thought it would be. Now they long for home. But they have one problem. How in the world are they going to get home?
A book filled with suspense and fantasy is the best book, in my mind. The only thing wrong with this one: the author never reveals what creature was in the well. Still, I would highly recomend this book for anyone who loves fantasy.

This book is an excellent tool to expand your understanding of taijiquan. Mr. Rodell gives an excellent insight into the internal world of the martial arts. This book is not written by an external artist pretending to be an internal master, but by a pure practitioner of neigong.

the auther had a good approach to making it short simple and to the point

Scott Rodell shares his experiences, insights, and knowledge of taijiquan very openly in this appropriately titled book. There is a sense that much of the text was hand-written after a good practice or mini-revelation. It is casual in this sense, but also well organized, with an excellent balance in discussing the principes, personal thoughts and daily experiences with the art. There is a also a very strong sense of history, not to preach, but to strive to bring the art back to where it should be.

This book is the real deal. There's a great deal of wisdom in a very small package. I hightly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about their taiji.

I have been studying Tai Chi Chuan for over 10 years and have read several book on Tai Chi Chuan, finding most of them to be a dissapointment. Very few books on the subject, especially recent ones, actually discuss how to approach the practice of Tai Chi Chuan in such great detail as this book. It is small, concise, and ultimately cuts to the heart of Tai Chi practice and philosophy. There is an amazing amount of detail and breakdown of concepts that are often (intentionally) left vague or not discussed in other works, and the insights revealed are invaluable. This is an author who has steeped himself in the tradition, the culture, and the classics of the art, and made them completely accessible to modern practitioners. Along the way, Mr. Rodell has cut through the mysticism and hype, offering critiques of and solutions to the common mistakes of modern practice
I'll try not to duplicate too much of what others have written about this book as I agree with them, and would highly recommend this book to practitioners of any level. As with all great teachings, the information presented carries layers of meaning that grow with the practitioners understanding of the material. As others have said, this is the real deal.

This is an excellent first novel - fast-paced, with believable characters with whom we quickly identify, in an intriguing and well-drawn milieu. It's an unusual and exciting trip into a world few readers will know.

The voices of the two leading characters are particularly convincing, and there is lots of highly entertaining dialogue.

The only criticisms might be that the strong language keeps it from being read by the young teens who might gain a lot from it - and that the ending, while satisfying, does leave you asking for more. I wanted to know a lot more about what happened to Ray and Jose next.

I bought this book for my teenage son, but I started reading it and couldn't put it down. It's a wonderful story of friendship and survival. As a mother, my heart breaks for how different the Jose and Ray's lives may have been if they had been born to caring parents. Paul Griffin did a superb job of bringing these boys alive to me and capturing my heart. Great first book. Keep 'em coming! I guess I'll let my son read it now...

I didn't think I'd enjoy Ten Mile River, but it swept me away. Jose and Ray's story is funny at times, tearworthy at others.

No parents, no school, no future. That's how Jose and Ray are living. They've been in foster homes and juvie, and they prefer the streets. They do some little cons to get by, and steal whatever they can't afford to buy.

I loved Jose, because I see so many young guys just like him: attitude, arrogance and an apptitude for crime. Ray, on the other hand, is soft - not just his body, but his heart. He's constantly reading and absorbing information.

The other thing that stands out about this book is the loyalty between the boys. Even when they are throwing punches at each other, it's obvious that they consider themselves brothers and would die for one another.

Great read.

Paul Griffin ushered me into a world within a world. And what a guide he is! TEN MILE RIVER is an absolutely splendid tale about 2 best friends who test themselves and one another during a volatile time in their lives. Ray is a sensitive, selfless teen who possesses a rich intelligence, a hopeful romantic, who sees everything with a poet's filter. Jose lives in the moment, relishes beauty by revealing his skin and playing the ultimate player. Ray is the exhale while jose inhales. What perfect foils this fine author sculpted. This kind of pairing is as indelible as Tom and Huck, George and Lenny, or Felix and Oscar. Both guys are truly endearing. You savor their freedom (jacking cars, fantasizing about women, living like stray mutts without rules or fences). At the same time, you pity them for they live in a bubble that will inevitably burst. Their lives are literally and figuratively anchored ashore. they are eager to paddle upstream yet afraid of the depths below. Isn't that what adolescence is all about? This story is about coming to terms with yourself, your closest of friends, and with a fleeting, precious episode in life...transforming into a newly hatched adult.

Paul Griffin nails this authentic yarn* about Ray and José, two teenagers who try to stay one step ahead of the law while living the high life in their shack by the Hudson river.

* "There was things he stretched, but mainly he told the truth."

They are torn between their enjoying their independent, criminal life and the civilizing influences of Yolanda, a Puerto Rican hair dresser, who offers them longer term, legitimate opportunities.

Ray is a thoughtful and complex character. As the novel opens, he is happy go lucky, naïve, but intelligent. As the story develops, he shows us his compassionate and moral sides. He speaks ambivalently about his own crimes, but the question is whether he will act on his words and change his ways.

In the end, as a result of his poor choices, he loses the people that are everything to him. Doors shut in front of him. Alone finally, Ray sets off in a new direction, like Huckleberry Finn lighting out for the Territory. We can't be certain that Ray has learned his lesson once and for all, and we are not told what happens to him, but we have reason to be hopeful.

Ten Mile River is 21st century Twain: the dialect, the close escapes, fishing for their dinner, a near-drowning, even the floating dead bodies. This one belongs in a high school curriculum.

This was a book that has a lot of action packed story. You should read it to find out about a young boy named Harrison Ford Hawkins Who goes back in time to meet his old friend, and to save his sister. This book keeps you on your toes, you should read this amazing book.

I started reading the Tennis Shoes series a while ago and got hooked onto every one. I finished the latest published book and am anxiously waiting for part two of The Seven Churches book.

When I first heard that the main character was going to be Harry Hawkins in this book I thought for sure that this book and The Lost Scrolls wouldn't be as good as the first for with Jim Hawkins as the main character. To my suprise it was just as good as all of the other Tennis Shoes books (which is really really good.) I can't wait to read Heimerdinger's next book.

I own all seven of the Tennis Shoes books and love and cherish each of them. I read this book for my book report and couldn't wait for the next report to start the next one, "The Lost Scrolls"! I am unhappy he titled this book, "The Seven Churches" because the Seven Churches are mentioned ONCE in the h\whole story. It should be "The Lost Scrolls Part 1". All in all I rate this book 100 out of 5 stars! Must read this series!

Tennis Shoes Among the Seven Churches by Chris Heimerdinger a new book that I just read. It tells the adventure of fifteen year old Harry Hawkins and his soon to be sister Megan Sorenson who go on an adventure into Frost Cave. This cave takes them back in time. During this adventure they meet a boy named Jessie who has no parents or relatives so they take him with them, they almost get eaten by a pack of heinas, they get to watch a gladiator fight, and they got reunited with some old friends. The obsticals that they have to go through makes this book an excellcnt book. At the begining of the story Harrys sister gets hurt in a motorcycle accident and while she is in the hospital she mentioned the name of an old friend that she met when she went into the cave when she was younger, his name was Marcos. When Harry, Megan, and Jessie are traveling, Megan and Jessie got kidnapped. The purpose of the story is to entertain people and the charcterization in the story is excellent because it is developed well through the story. Harry is a boy worried about his happines and when he finds who he is looking for he knows his sisters happines will improve. Overall I think Tennis Shoes Among the Seven Churches is a great book. I think this book is a great addition to literature.

Just when you think it couldn't get any better than Body Bags, this second book in the BOE series keeps fans on the edge of their seats. Jenna's adventures in Thief of Hearts is one that will keep her scarred for a long time, but she uses this experience to fuel her and the other obstacles and puzzles that she faces. A must read!!!

This was an amazing book. I stumbled apon Body Bags at my local B&N and thought, "Well, this is O.K., not excellent but o.k." and I thought nothing of it and thin a few days ago I found this book and LOVED it. it was entertaining all the way through! Not a single spot of bordom.

If you liked this book and you want to try another good murder mystery, I would recommend The Kindaichi Case Files: The Opera House Murders.

After reading Body Bags, I went straight to the store and purchased this one and finished it the same day. This book was well done by Christopher Golden, with exceptional character developement in Jenna, Hunter, and Pierce. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys mystery, horror, or suspense and who also has a cast-iron stomach . . . these books tend to be a little disturbing. Even so, Golden is a wonderful author and I can't wait to read Soul Survivor.

After Jenna Blake's very eventful first week at Somerset University in Masachusetts (BODY BAGS) which included politically motivated killings and attempts on her life, it would be hard to believe that college could get even more complicated. But in THIEF OF HEARTS, it does just that, and in true style!

Jenna's been at college for a month now, getting into the rythm of classes, friendship (with her roommate Yoshiko, best friend Melody, and Melody's brother Hunter), and a renewed relationship with her father, Professor Logan, who teaches at the school. Now, her half-brother, Pierce, has shown up to spend his thirty-day leave from the Marine Corps with their father, and Jenna is thrilled. She hasn't seen her much older brother in years, and she's looking forward to renewing their relationship.

There's a problem though--more murders start happening on and around campus, just about the time Pierce shows up in Somerset. And Jenna's doubly dismayed when she assists in the first autopsy as part of her job with the Medical Examiner's office, and realizes that these murders are particularly grisly. Whoever is killing men and women around Somerset isn't just murdering them, but taking their hearts.

As the suspense builds--Pierce becomes a suspect of local detectives Audrey Gaines and Danny Mariano; Jenna and her friends just might be in danger--the book picks up speed. I read THIEF OF HEARTS in one sitting, much the same way I did with the first book in the series, Body Bags: A Body of Evidence Thriller #1).

This is a great series for readers of all ages who are interested in forensic work. Highly recommended, and I can't wait to get started on the next book in the series.

****SPOILER***** ******SPOILER****** *****SPOILER******
Christopher Golden threw me for a loop with this story, with the death of a major character. It definitely added to the sense of urgency in finding the killer, but I admit I was shocked! Just don't be surprised if you find yourself caught up in the shock, sadness, and sense of desperation that this story brings!

When Somerset University freshman, and pathology assistant, Jenna Blake, faces a new murder mystery plaguing the student population of Somerset, she realizes just how close she's being brought to the haunting crimes. Everyone has strange, yet possible theories involving the crimes, including Jenna's half-brother, Pierce Logan, the new guy in town. Meanwhile, Jenna begins having feelings towards an older man, which are abruptly interrupted, when the Thief of Hearts begins hunting on Somerset's campus, and someone very close to Jenna is his prey.

I was skeptical about THIEF OF HEARTS, as I thought that it could never outdo the previous book in the series, BODY BAGS. I was completely wrong. THIEF OF HEARTS is a fantastic, hold onto your seat, thrill ride, that brings you up close and personal with grizzly murders, and the procedures the officials use to solve the case, both in the medical examiner's office, and the police department. Fans of BODY BAGS will find that THIEF OF HEARTS, while being a sequel, is both terrifying and engrossing, and will find it hard to put it down until the very last page is turned. A must-have for everyone, except the faint of heart.

Erika Sorocco

Paul offered Johanna a ride home, and suddenly shy, "good girl" Johanna is saying, "I want you to kiss me." A junior in high school, Johanna has long admired the handsome, fast-driving senior. Now things have changed. She has found the nerve to make a move.

Although nothing happens immediately, Paul eventually begins paying attention to Johanna. Little does she know it's because he and girlfriend Carla have split up, and he needs a replacement. Whatever the reason, Paul and Johanna become a couple.

Grades used to hold top priority for Johanna, but they've been moved to second place to make room for hours spent with Paul. Needless to say, her parents are not thrilled and neither is her best friend, Pam. Paul wants to spend so much time with Johanna that he demands she choose between her best friend and him. There is no choice - Paul is the love of her life.

As time passes, Johanna begins to notice that Paul's gentle caresses are becoming painful slaps, squeezes, and pinches. His loving words are now put downs said not only in private but also in front of their friends. Johanna doesn't know about Paul's hidden problems, but she's learning fast.

Paul's personality surfaces in the novel through letters written to "Dear Dead Dad." His father left when he was twelve, and news came later that he died in a car accident. His mother lost her husband, then her home, and then she "found" Jesus, and Paul began fending for himself. Anger issues and drinking problems begin complicating his relationships. He always apologizes and promises that "things will change," but doubt about their relationship haunts Johanna.

In THINGS CHANGE, Patrick Jones paints a chilling picture of physical and emotional abuse. People often question why the abused continues to "love" the abuser and refuses to seek help. Johanna's story attempts to show how loss of friendships and alienation of family keep the abused from reaching out. This emotion-packed novel tells a story that shouldn't be ignored.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

I thought that this was an extremely good book. I liked this book because i could relate very well to the things that the author portratyed in the book. The book is about high school life...but not the covered up version that you'd read about most of the time. This book is about the REALITIES that tend to happen in high school. I have actually had the privalage of meeting the author of this book, Patrick Jones. Hes not the typical kind of author that is full of him self and just wants more money...he is very down to earth and a good guy. He comes into schools and talks about his book, where he got the ideas for it, and explains and answers any questions. One of the main issues in this book is dating violence. Its a very real thing, and he brings that out through this book. he explained where he got the ideas....which was very cool...but ill stop boring you and simply tell you to read this book, because you definatley WONT regret it.
-Corey Dunning

-i am also looking forward to reading nailed...and i am currently reading the first draft of his next book "Cheated" which is so incredebly good...even on the first draft...so remeber this author in the future.

While reading this story I reached out to Johanna. I couldnt stop reading this book. I sat down and within two days i finished it. I didnt think i would like this book but i took a chance. I've already recommended it to many of my friends.
Its byfar one of the best books ive read in my short life.

I LOVED this book i couldnt put it down for one second! i finished it so fast! i enjoyed it the characters are sooo engaging , the story everything and i barely ever read books acutally i only read this one and tears of a tiger. So yeah the book was really good and i hope you read it.

As a high school teacher, I assigned this book for reading in a literature circle. One of my male non readers was sitting in the hallway while an almost non reader (also male) was reading aloud. They were hanging on every word, and trying desperately to finish the book in time for the discussion. I almost cried to think that they finally had found something that made them want to read. When everyone had finished the book, the discussion was lively, animated, and the book had appealed to both males and females, something that is a bit rare for this age group.

Another student even wrote a note thanking me for letting her read a book which because of its realistic character portrayals helped her see herself through someone else's eyes.

Forced to read the book, I was cringing, as I hate YA literature. What a delight to learn that this was a novella that would not be put down. I found myself carrying it around all day until I was finished. Jones obviously has some talent for creating realistic characters, realistic situations, and a plot that enthralls readers.

I started reading this book yesterday and I'm halfway through it. So far, it's pretty good. I wouldn't a young kid of the age of nine or ten to read this book due to the content and the foul language. Teen girls would like this book because there's always something juicy that's either happening or going to happen.

Morgan is a teenage star, an actress who loves spending money and living it up. After overdosing at the Viper Room and nearly dying, then spending time in rehab, she is sent to live with her mother's best friend in Indiana. She must attend a public high school for a year as Claudia Miller and let no one know who she really is, requiring a "makeunder" to disguise her famous face.

This book was written as a journal, so it's easy to stop and start. Though a tad predictable, as any 'secret identity' books are to me, it was surprisingly decent. Morgan has issues - big ones, beyond her materialistic ways - that come out as the story progresses. Make sure to check out the other titles in the series. The second book, More Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet, picks up right where this book left off.

Another adult who enjoys curling up with YA lit. I studied children/YA lit in college and always trying to keep on the cutting edge of this literary field. I recently picked up Confessions, expecting it to be "fluff" fiction, glamourizing the life of hollywood starlets. I was quite surprised to find out that the narrator is a recovering drug addict, serious about sobriety. This was a fabulously important story. Smart, chic, and entirely enjoyable. I am waiting anxiously for the sequel.

After a drug overdose, teen actress Morgan Carter was shipped of to live with "aunt" Trudy at Fort Wayner (which I thought was a military base...but it's not). With a new hair color and new name, Claudia Miller, she must live like a normal teenage girl for a year.
This book is nothing like the shallow gossip girls/a-list series. Its about a real girl with real emotions who is finding who she is without all the fancy lights and cameras and away from drugs and alcohol.
There's also a little romance but I think there will be a lot more of that in the second book. (I CANT WAIT!)
I recommend this book to any teen girl

After Hollywood It Girl Morgan Carter overdoses on narcotics, her mom decides that she needs to recover, and she thinks that won't be possible in L.A, so she sends Morgan to live with a friend in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Suddenly Morgan has newly dyed brown hair, a new name (Claudia Miller), and a new attendance of Narcotics Anonymous meetings. At first she is completely underwhelmed. Her friends at school are just slightly different from Marissa, her best friend in Hollywood. None of their clothes have labels, and the clothes they do wear don't exactly emphasize their assets and hid their faults the way they should. Their idea of partying involves soda (which they call pop) and pizza, and they fill their days with school, extracurriculars, and homework. Between guidance counselor sessions at school, NA meetings, school clubs, and a series of journal entries, Morgan is able to make some new friends and confidantes, and really get into her "role" as Claudia Miller. However, there's still that tiny something holding her back: her "real life," knowing she's going to have to return to it, and the fear of being discovered. At first Morgan seems vapid and flat, but as she spends more time in Ft. Wayne, she really mellows and becomes a likeable character. Lola Douglas' writing style is both entertaining and genuine, much like the story itself. By the end, you'll be seeing that Morgan Carter isn't so different from Claudia Miller, if only she'd give herself a chance.

Though Roald Dahl's reputation comes mostly from his children's books, these stories, though mostly aimed at adults, are worth reading. This book is full of short stories with somewhat bizarre twists to them, though they are enjoyable all the same. My favorites are Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat, The Butler, The Landlady, Parson's Pleasure, The Umbrella Man, Vengeance is Mine Inc., and Taste.
In Vengeance is Mine Inc., Two brothers named George and Claude move to New York with only four hundred and fifty dollars. When they run out of money, they become desperate. Then, Claude gets an idea. The brothers start a company called Vengeance is Mine Inc., which sends out letters to rich people who have been insulted in the newspapers, offering to punch the offensive columnist them in the nose, black their eye, put a rattlesnake (with venom extracted) in their car, or kidnap them, take off their clothes (except for underwear), and dump them on fifth street at rush hour.
After just two days of sending out letters, they already have to punch someone in the nose, put a rattlesnake in someone's car, and kidnap someone (with the above specifics). Do you want to know if they succeed? If you do, you'll have to read the book.
However, if you do decide to read the book, you will end up reading a lot of other great stories in addition to this one. The endings are just as varied as the topics of the stories. Several are slightly gruesome, others are very interesting, and one of them is very sad. Generally, though, they turn your expectations inside out and upside down, with witty (though sometimes outdated) humor and clever plot lines. If you enjoy this kind of thing, I highly recommend that you read this book.

It has taken me nearly ten years to complete my collection of Roald dahl books in hard back and this was worth the wait.

Simply an amazing book. Roald Dahl does have quite the reputation for creating children's books, but this is no child's book. Each story is so brilliant that you would think there were several decades of planning put into each one. A few will leave you frightened, some will leave you gasping, some might leave you roaring with laughter, and others will have you feeling sad.
But I assure you, no matter what feeling these stories leave you with, each and every one will be accompanied by satisfaction.
Roald Dahl was a saint when it came to children's books, but if you haven't read any of his Young-Adult (I like to call them) classics, then you have no idea what true literature is. I also recommend some of his other non-children's books, such as, one of my favourites: Going Solo.

I am a huge Roald Dahl fan, so naturally I am a bit biased. I love this compilation of short stories, and I constantly reread my favorites, which include Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat, The Butler, Man from the South, The Landlady, The Umbrella Man, The Way Up to Heaven, Royal Jelly, Taste, and Neck. If you like Roald Dahl's stories as much as I do, I recommend Dahl's Omnibus, which compiles most, if not all of his short works.

Thirteen tales of horror and hilarity from master storyteller: Roald Dahl. How much will you pay for revenge? Would you stake a bet on your little finger or on your only daughter's hand in marriage? Each of the thirteen stories collected here will grab your attention and keep you riveted till the very last words. By turns shocking,ironic,humorous and touching, these tales are filled with bizarre twists and unexpected delights. This collection proves Roald Dahl's standing as one of the world's finest storytellers. My favourites in this book are The Umbralla Man, Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat,Parson's Pleasure and Taste.