Shadow The Books

Well developed characters. This was a real story with romance added. Those are far and few in between the romance genre, friends. No cookie cutter ploting. Good

I rarely read romance novels, but a long flight and a longerlayover forced me to pick one up, and for once I was verypleasently suprised by what I found. "Shadows in Velvet" is a well-written, fascinating historical novel with a wonderful romance as a bonus.

Set against the French Revolution of the 1650's, this novel starts out with many of the traditional historical romance plot devices - an orphan living in a convent (our heroine, Annique), an arranged marriage to a man with a shady past (Philippe) and the usual descriptions early on of the passion they share. Yet much of this is set up, used, and moved beyond in the first few chapters. After that, the story takes a much deeper turn, dealing with trust in an age where the Royal family is at war within itself, secrecy is considered fun and intrugue is a national pastime.

While the story focuses on these two characters and their relationship, much of their success or failure comes from the experiences they go through seperately and the growth each experiences. The history they are experiencing it in becomes key and, because of the extensive, accurate research of the writer, Haywood Smith, the story comes to life and truely makes the changes they go through meaningful, instead of all too convenient as in most romance novels I've read.

In the end, this was the first romance novel I had read which required thought and felt real - it pulled me into it's time and it's characters and made me anxious for another book by this author. Her freshman offering is well worth reading!

In The Shadows, Kith and Kin, Joe R. Lansdale attempts to show you that you've got something in common with either the strange, bizarre, sick, or horrific. Each story seems to take on characters that do unholy things or characters who are so far outside of the realm of normalcy that it doesn't seem possible that there is any point of writing about them: they're too d**n waked out for anyone to believe in them. But then MoJoe Hisownself not only makes you believe in them, he makes you pull for them, cheer for them, pray for them, and even cry for them. You'll get pulled into their world in spite of the distance between you and them and you both come out better for it. The only story reprinted in this collection is the 1992 Bram Stoker winner, "The Events Concerning a Nude Fold-Out Found in a Harlequin Romance," which considering it's so good isn't a bad thing for someone coming to Lansdale for the first time. Even if you've read it before, it's so good it begs for rereading. My favorite story is Joe's take on both The Little Engine That Could and Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel which he calls "Bill, the Little Steam Shovel." Bill here has to learn to believe in himself, see? He's got to believe that he can work, that he has a Dave who will care for him, that he's got a place in society, and, above all, that he can get some bumper from Miss Maudie. Along the way he's befriended by the wise and tuckered-but-tough steam shovel, Gabe, an unforgettable and kind and wonderful character. This book was heavily advertised as the return of Reverend Jebidiah Rains, whom we haven't seen sense the genre-generating novel, Dead in the West. Here we get him in two tales: "Deadman's Road" (a morality tale about hateful and recalcitrant sinners who have no human compassion and the sacrifice that some times has to be made for God's moral order) and "The Gentleman's Hotel" (a Lansdale type of action-packed, true love story mixed with werewolves that would make Lon Chaney, Jr. jealous -- they're probably just as foolishly arrogant as Chaney was, too). You also get two post-Apocalypse tales, "The Long Dead Day" and "Alone." Both are sadly and woefully nihilistic and rival Harlan Ellison's A Boy and His Dog, even coming in under word-weight. It's like watching a bantam-weight battling a heavyweight and taking him the full count. Then, of course, you've got a white-trash, down-home, Southern-fried tale that regales its reader with brilliantly cooked up mishaps: "White Mule, Spotted Pig." The opening tale, from which the collection takes its name, is a truly scary story about a young man that decides to become a sniper in a college's bell tower; realistically scary and woefully timely. Joe Lansdale has never been better in creating well-crafted prose than he is in this collection. The book itself, stitched together by the Subterranean Press, is simply pretty: the boards are covered in nice, dark green cloth and the end papers are textured, (nice)rust orange, and there is even a signature page with Joe's sig. The full-color cover by Mark A. Nelson is a classic, depicting scenes from four of the stories. This is a great addition to Joe's oeuvre, and it proves that he is still hitting homeruns every time he steps up to bat.

Another five stars collection of (partly) unreleased tales by Hisownself.
Do not miss the return of Reverend Jebidiah Rains from "Dead in the West" his smoking guns fight again against Evil!
Another interesting issue is the reprinting of the novellette "The Events Concerning a Nude Fold-Out Found in a Harlequin Romance": pure Lansdale, yummm...
But all the contents are outstanding so be sure you'll have a good read.

This is an incredible book. I first ran into it when my college art instructor brought it for me to look at. He obtained a copy while on vacation, visiting Hugo home. I was awestruk then and now. Now a few years later, I was visiting the Art Institute of Chicago and saw a Hugo, one that is actually in the book.

It jogged my memory of this incredible book. I jumped online, and amazingly found a copy here on Amazon. I can't wait to get it. And for an amazing price.

This book is fonaminale in its explaination of Hugo, his art, and his techneques. A ture treasure for anyone interested. Exceptional work from someone who is known for is writing, not drawings.

After viewing Hugo's art displayed at his home, I was surprised at the lack of material I could find to read about it. This book has been a great find for me, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Hugo or the history of modern Western art.

A character study, a novel of historical fiction, an young adult's introduction to foreign culture, or a bold little step in the story of gender equality -- it does not matter why this book was read or how someone chose to categorized it; it succeeds on all fronts.

A little glimpse into the world of a late-18th century Libyan 12-year-old girl is, by no means, an oversaturated subject matter in the world of books these days (if ever!). It is, however, perhaps all the more reason to pick it up. This is unexplored territory for almost every reader, and THE SHADOWS OF GHADAMES should not disappoint any of them.

The story of Malika is character-driven with an engaging, fresh plotline that showcases the inserted "you've never been here before" set of facts about cultural, religious, culinary and societal customs that don't seem forced, thank God. The introduction of what might seem to be uncomfortable subject matter like polygamy is handled beautifully, if not artfully, and it is absolutely clear to me that the author truly respects all of her characters.

Part of the success of this work is also due to Catherine Temerson's magnificent translation that is alive with beautiful, poetic language. Her work (translated from the original French) has nuance and energy, and is a delight to read.

I recommend this book for whatever reason you can find to pick it up, particularly because of the contrast you'll find with our current technological world. Today's students (at least mine) demand that things happen for them and that they're entertained, and for them there is little satisfaction in quiet, thoughtful solitude. As a contrast to the "I'm SOOO bored," mantra of today's youth, I think we really need our children to develop perspective and alternatives to the ever-present materialism and noise of 2007. THE SHADOWS OF GHADAMES is an excellent introduction to that lesson.

A bit of context. When I reviewed "Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind" (a tale about a Pakistani nomadic daughter and her struggle against repression), I characterized it as a slow moving epic. The kind of thing that kids should read but that if you forced it down their gullets they'd immediately detest. And though "The Shadows of Ghadames" is similar to "Shabanu" in a number of ways, I simply cannot repeat this advice. Here we have a small, unassuming, but brilliantly succinct encapsulation of the maturity of a young woman in late nineteenth century southern Libya. The book is fascinating and short, but says everything in its mere 118 pages that needs to be said. Unlike some historical fiction novels written for children, I'll be recommending this book to any and every kid I see. It's an infinitely interesting look at a world unlike our own but can (as "Shabanu" author Suzanne Fisher Staples says in her blurb on the back of the book), "explore universal truths about the condition of being human".

Once again Malika's father is taking off from the city of Ghadames to sell his wares to lands distant from his daughter's home. As a girl, Malika is finding the freedoms she experienced as a child curtailed with the approach of puberty. Soon she will be condemned to remain on the rooftops of the city where all the women live, like her mother and her father's second wife Bilkisu. Malika challenges a society where she isn't allowed to learn to read and where the only garden she'll soon be seeing is the red one painted on the walls of the roofs. It isn't long before such brooding is changed to fear, however, when she and Bilkisu discover an injured man, hunted by the townspeople for preaching a different religion. Without Malika's father around, the women take it upon themselves to hide and tend to the wounded man. Through this act of kindness, Malika grows to learn more about the world of the women, far above the ground, and what they are truly capable of in spite of their entrapment.

It was with great shock that I reached the end of this book, only to discover that "The Shadows of Ghadames" has been translated from the original text to what we read here. Originally the work of French author Joelle Stolz, the prose is lyrical and fascinating, without the stilted sentences that sometimes pepper a translated work. Better still, this book is interesting from page one onwards. There's a thrilling blindfolded race across a roof, lurid descriptions of the celebrations women have on their own, and complicated relations that never rely on black and white stereotypes. In most novels like this one, the young man rescued would turn out to have a saintly disposition and would teach Malika how to be her own woman. Stolz turns this convention on its head, instead having the young man sneer at the ministrations of the women, angrily curse their ignorance (which he sees as willful), and teaches Malika to read possibly because he has nothing else to do. Likewise, the fact that Malika's father has two wives at first seems peaceful and without conflict. Later we learn that the situation was initially very tenuous and it was only with the birth of Malika herself that each woman came to terms with the other.

This world is entirely unlike most that children read about in books. Stolz has created something new and fascinating. It's a land where the cries of women throughout the day, from rooftop to rooftop, tell the news. Where an entire citizenry remains above the actions of the men below. And best of all, it's a truly interesting book. There are no easy answers in "The Shadows of Ghadames". And there isn't that Hollywood happy ending where everything turns out hunky-dory at the finale. There's just a tale of how the oppressed can still live fulfilling lives in spite of their prisons. A great book of 2004.

Urang's book was published in 1971, during an earlier focus upon Tolkien, as well as his colleagues Lewis and Williams. This was originally written as Urang's dissertation on theology and fantasy writing. Urang's writing is precise, engaging, and fascinating. It is an excellent book to read for Tolkien fans and others. I'm amazed that it hasn't been brought back into print, yet. I highly recommend it!

For fans of Tolkien, CS Lewis and Charles Williams, this is a must read. Urang does tremendous work as he relates these excellent writers to theology and religious teaching.

Peter Carey

Shadows of the Anunnaki would make a superb film for the big screen. It has all the ingredients and elements of a big hit: Drama, suspense, theme and atmosphere. Perhaps, a Broadway play, a musical of the parallel world, celestial escapades and threatening discovery of the origin of mankind. If well-promoted this novel could become a best-seller. Only a big publishing house can triger such a global success.

Ms. Dietert deserves a wider recognition. This author will make a big difference. She just dashed out a wonderful book. Highly recommended! Read it right now! All the best Ms. Dietert, you have here a good product!!

I just love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! when is the next one going to arive . this book should be made into a move, it would be a block buster !!!!!!!

I highly recommend this compelling story about a man's quest to find his niche in life, amid numerous trials and tribulations. Only the end of the story will tell you if our hero finds acceptance and love or if he climbs naked to the top of the factory and picks off his coworkers with a shotgun one by one! This story kept this reader engaged from Chapter One til the last word, a real page turner! I eagerly await the arrival of this author's next work!

The only problem I had with this book is when I finished it, I wanted more! Perfect blend to "A Port of No Return" McKellar's first in the series. Can't wait for the next one.

This book was a sexy thrilling ride just like the 1st book, "A Port of No Return". A great read!

H. Crosby was one of the rare "wealthy Bohemians" of the 1920's. While DH Lawrence, Joyce, Crane, Hemmingway & others were stuggling to get by in post war Paris, Crosby was at the Ritz sipping gin cocktails, reading Rimbaud, Baudelaire, & Oscar Wilde. His diary, and life reads like an extravagant surrealist paean to the Sun, to Gold, Absinthe, and Art. After almost being killed as an ambulance driver in WW I, Crosby dedicated himself to following his real passions - namely for women, horse racing, drinking, and poetry. He & his wife (see "The Passionate Years" by Caresse Crosby) formed Black Sun Press, and helped establish the above named struggling writers, as well as others. SOS is an intriguing journey into the "mad and extravagant life" of a lesser known, eccentric poet from a lost era, and is an essential work for anyone interested in WW I era writers. I also highly recommend "Black Sun" by G. Wolff, which is a good biography on Harry Crosby and his times. And also, "Devour the Fire", by Sy Kahn, if you can find it, is a rare collection of his poetry.

"Shadows of the Sun" is an extraordinary document from an extraordinary individual. While 1920s Paris conjures up all the usual heroes and cliches, this captivating & unique document offers something altogether different - a wild burst of mystical, poetic euphoria, the fevered voice of a true original. For anyone interested in the literary foundations of Modernism or in that much written about era of literary explosion, Harry Crosby's "Shadows of the Sun" should be required reading.

Cindy has nicely written this collection of poems that are very warm and heartfelt! There are several in her collection that I related to and have shared with family and friends! She is very talented and I'm looking forward to many more of her books!

You see and feel every word that is spoken. I actually had visualization with each and every poem. I really see this writer has an outstanding talent. Keep up the good work.

I know I will enjoy your future writings.