Characters Books

Riveting thriller
David Hagberg gets better with each novel. Allah's Scorpion is an excellent, tightly written contemporary thriller. There is plenty of action, but it is not overdone as is typical in so many action thrillers today. Mr. Hagberg takes a plausible plot, stocks it with realistic characters, and presents it in a contemporary way to keep the reader engaged. The storyline grows in complexity as the plot evolves weaving both the personal and international conflicts into a dramatic climax. Kirk McGarvey has grown in stature through Mr. Hagberg's novels and has reached the same plain as Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp, Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne, or Barry Eisler's John Rain. In Allah's Scorpion , it takes all of Kirk's wiles and assassin expertise to finally defeat his bitterest of enemies. Unfortunately for Mr. McGarvey, in the process of covert success another enemy appears to have taken over as his chief opponent in the future. In the international world of terrorist fiction there is always another "bad guy" to defeat. It will be interesting to see where Kirk goes next.
Character development was very good. As this is a Kirk McGarvey series each new book bring out more of who Kirk really is and what inner demons he must grapple with. Sub characters were handled very well and continue to be developed in an excellent fashion. Although fiftyish, I think there are still a few good years left in Kirk McGarvey-at least I hope so.
Some violence but germane to the storyline-not gratuitous. No gratuitous language or sex.
Highly recommended if you like contemporary action thrillers. Not over-the-top but a real page turner. Perfect for a vacation read.

Allah's Scorpion is the first book I found by Mr. Hagberg. It deals with terrorism and is up to the minute in world events. Once I read it, I found all of his other books to read. You cannot put down one of his books. They grab you and hold on.

I do not like to give plot summaries because they give away too much. Just don't miss any of his books if you rollercoaster reads.

This is a book that you never want to end. I just wish that he could write them faster with the same quality.

But isn't our hero getting a little old for his actions to be believed. Is everyone in the CIA related? Do they send couples into danger? If only the details lived up to the action.

ALLAH'S SCORPION is my first David Hagberg novel. It is a well though out, fast paced, page turning, action thriller. The location of Bin Laden's lair is an interesting twist, and could well be accurate. Loved the ending, but it can be taken at face value? Was he or wasn't he ... well you have to read the book to understand.

Hagberg did a credible job in describing the nuclear weapon, no mistakes or errors--a pleasant surprise. The assumption is that the fissile material had become critical, emitting gamma and neutron radiation, but the author did not get sidetracked by attempting to explain how.

If you are looking for novels with detailed, accurate information on nuclear weapons and devices, check out The Rings of Allah and Behold, an Ashen Horse

I think this was my favorite volume in the series so far. The first two were fun and entertaining, but in this one the plot becomes thicker, more complicated, and we start to see glimpses of a rich backstory behind the characters Grandma Ben and Thorn. People who liked the first two books will be sure to like this one, too.

This is my 1st Graphic Novel that I have read. Jeff Smith is a great author and illustrator. The words along with the pictures tell a great story. Jeff uses many story elements in his book Eyes of the storm. His plot has several conflicts in it. He uses mainly person-against-person, with it being the Bone cousins and village people against the rat creatures. Jeff Smith uses flashbacks and foreshadowing in dreams to let Thorn know what her past was like. He uses cliff hangers to make the story more suspenseful. Amongst all of this, Jeff Smith knows how to lighten the atmosphere by putting humor in the right places. This book kept me wanting more. I can't wait to get a hold of the next volume. This will not be my last graphic novel that I read.

The Bone books are the gratest comics I have Ever read

check em' out ;)

This book I just read is about a boy named Bone. Bone's friend started a cow race, and convinced everyone to bet on a cow that didn't even exist. So now they have to wash dishes at a bar to pay back what they destroyed. They have weird dreams about their past. So they spend days trying to figure out what their dreams were about. There are furry creatures in the woods trying to kill them.
Bone was the main character in the story he is the coolest and funniest in the book. There grandma reminds me of my grandma from when I was 3. She told me that there as no such thing as ghosts. I figured out that there was such thing as ghosts when I was 5. My favorite part in the story is when Bone realized that their dreams where real. If you like comic books then you will like the Bone series. This book was made to be read by kids 11 and older.

These books are fantastic! I have two 7yr old boys that cry if I don't read this book to them at night.

Parents:
Imagine using, I won't read to you tonight if you don't stop right now, and it works...that's how good this series is. At first I thought the book might be a little too scary for them but they were hooked and it wasn't until book 4 that I had to consider sensoring some of the language (things like "idiot"). Any book that brings kids back to the well again and again is worth purchasing.

This book is eye-opening! I have been an avid fan of Harry Potter for years with many reads of the entire series under my belt. I teach a Harry Potter class to elementary & middle school aged kids in the summer (which is why I bought this book). It is so much fun to realize how deep the HP universe really is! I can't wait for volumes 2 & 3 to come out.

This book is wonderfully organized and easy to use. The information is totally fascinating and the questions range from moderately to extremely challenging. There are also some great pages of trivia about the trivia answers.

For all who want to explore even more into the world of Harry Potter, this book is a great buy. Highly recommended!

for someone who is wanting to enjoy a challenging afternoon this is the book for you.Rachelene Maltanese has formated her book in such a way that the beginning,casual and the serious readers of the Harry Potter series will tested in their knowledge of potions,spells,curses,witches and wizards and myriad other topics by her Salamander,Phoenix and Dragon levels.this book is highly recommended for any HP group disussion or just to bone up on your knowledge, or lack thereof.So purchase this product, sit back and enjoy

I got this book for my 3 kids, ages 11,18 and 22 who are all Harry Potter book fanatics and used to sit around and make up trivia questions to try to stump each other (especially the older 2). They all have enjoyed taking the quizzes and it is both challenging and entertaining. I would definitely recommend it for those who think they are well versed in Potter minutia--you might be surprised!

I'll come right out and admit that I expected this book to be a cakewalk. I've read the entire series of books multiple times, and I was convinced that I'd have no problem answering even the difficult questions. Well, I've been well and truly humbled.

Ms. Maltese has gathered an incredible range of facts and tidbits from seemingly nowhere. The book itself is divided into individual quests, or areas of knowledge, then further broken down into three levels of difficulty: salamander, phoenix, and dragon. I knew I was in trouble when I started missing phoenix questions!

Fortunately, the answers are supplied at the end of the chapter, along with some fun trivia bits. I actually went and double-checked some of those answers for accuracy, and the book was right every time.

This book would be a great at a party, or for a fund-raiser trivia quiz. I think this would also be a great idea translated into other languages, since many of the character names are completely different in each country.

My hat is off to Ms. Maltese and her impeccable research skills. I challenge all Potter fans to try their hand and test their Potter knowledge!

Having just finished this book, I'm going to skip ahead and say: I am delighted.


Skipping backwards, however:


- The simple skill levels provide an excellent ladder into the suprisingly voluminous information within: Young fans will be thrilled to be quizzed as Salamanders (Level 1), drawn on to learn more and graduate to Phoenixes (Level 2), and even adult fans will be challenged by Level 3, the Dragon.


- Hint boxes on almost every page make sure the reader isn't left to flounder if they're lost (or tempted to cheat!). They don't chivvy, scold, or insult, but instead encourage lateral thinking to get at the answers.


- However, the best part might be the extras. The answers are not simple, dry solutions; they are complete and filled with additional content and facts, making it a surprisingly useful reference.


- Trivia Tidbits! Never let it be said that curiosity, once fanned, was allowed to fizzle. The "tidbits" are actually quite meaty asides that often bring in real-world comparisons, point out the historical fact and mythology woven through the Harry Potter books, and encourage outside research and reading.


A wonderful idea for parents might be to purchase the book prior to a birthday and use the questions as a party game. This would work equally well for teenagers, and even adults. Harry Potter appeals to nearly everyone, and this book makes it fun to share trivia and thoughts on the series with friends.

Abolutely awesome book that is a must for every Christian who follows Jesus and wants to live in His power, love and word.

Have heard him preach this message in person and the book reads just like he preaches. The book has much more depth though.

John Bevere is a great teacher of God's word and his books are very easy to read and understand. Highly recommended book.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS I KEEP BUYING COPIES AND GIVING THEM AWAY THIS TIME WHEN I BUY ANOTHER COPY FOR MYSELF I WILL BUY AT LEAST TWO.I THANK GOD FOR JOHN BEVERE . I AM SO GRATEFULL TO HAVE DISCOVERED THE BOOKS HE HAS WRITTEN.

[[ASIN:159185881X Breaking Intimidation]
As I read this book, it addressed exactly what I've experienced in so many relationships. My favorite quote, "Unless you use your God-given authority, someone else will take it from you and use it against you."

Absolutely true what the other reviewers are saying! This is a life-giving and changing book that is difficult to put down. I was a bit surprised on what the one negative review stated. No where does John Bevere suggest one stays in authority (hid in Christ) by striving or being unkind. And actually he does give many Biblical precidents where one can lose authority by giving into intimidation. Bevere is speaking about losing authority and the ability to excercise gifts for the benefit of the body of Christ--not about losing one's salvation and certainly not about relying on ourselves for power or answers. Depression,broken families, split churches, lack of joy--most of us have seen it, experienced it. This book shows the roots of it. And the basic root, Bevere explains, is NOT doing what we are told to do--which is lay down our self life. This book isn't an easy read by any means. Thank God. I've recently read most of Bevere's books. Balance. Root causes and the truth in all of them. I'm also recommending several other books and authors that I feel all work together. Different messages--but all in unity, that have helped me immensely see clearer the word of God. The True Nature of God by Andrew Wommack. Why I Left the Prophetic Movement by Andrew Strom. I have found all books by Wommack, Bevere, Strom and also Ray Comfort to be balanced and working the same good things I believe God wants us to know to come into unity, power and godly authority.

Rising With The Son: A Diary Of A Growing Soul

At the core John addresses many issues we all share that keep us from living a full and complete life in Christ. We do fear! Rejection, Judgment, Death, Loss and Failure...all just part of what could hold us back. Yet, how many of us think about fearing the same from our God. This book doesn't intimidate but does tell us like it is. We CAN fall forward and truly live in the power and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This book is LIFE GIVING.

Every time I have the opportunity to recommend a book, I recommend the entire Benjamin January series. I've done a lot of research into the period in which the series is set and Hambly's facts are dead-on. January is one of the more interesting characters in series literature and Hambly deftly brings the period to life. Her use of actual historical persons such as Marie LeVo makes it even more interesting and fun. The whole series is really worth the time and money. I hate to get to the end of each book, then find myself waiting impatiently for the next one.
Do yourself a huge favor and read the whole series.

What a wonderful series!! Lots of history and plenty of intrigue. If you've ever been to New Orleans you'll be able to imagine yourself there. Do yourself a favor and read the whole series.

The Benjamin January is an enjoyable read for any lover of New Orleans and historical fiction

I have to start out by saying that I really enjoy this series. Oddly enough, I read the first one while on a trip to New Orleans years ago. This story gets away from N.O. a bit and out into the Gulf. Very enjoyable, very memorable!

Thank god Ms. Hambly is back. This installment of the series was infinitely better than the previous one. The characters were far more interesting, the plot more credible, and the solution more satisfying. I'm looking forward to the next chapter of the series again.

The book provides an excellent resource for anyone writing comedic material, whether sitcom based or not. These characters are timeless.

I was so impressed with this book. It is written mostly for actors, but is a gem for writers as well! This guy breaks down comedy like nothing I've ever seen.

Buy the book. It really is worth every dime - and no, I don't know the guy.

As an actress and a writer, I was thrilled that this book helped me out in both fields. You get great ideas and inspiration for characters to write, as well as great tips and tricks for acting out very specific characters. It's also fantastic how the author talks about "types" of actors and characters and knowing yourself well enough to know who you will pull off well. Which I think applies to more actors than we actors would like to admit... I found myself discovering things about myself, not only as an actress, but as a person, which can only help in my portrayal of certain characters! Great read!

The "Eight Characters of Comedy" by Scott Sedita was absolutely fantastic! The book was incredibly informative to a writer and an actor, but also gives the audience/reader such an insight to how tv shows and film are created. It's a wonderful book. I recommend it to all!

I mean, seriously. Someone FINALLY sat down and wrote a book that deconstructs all the different characters (there's 8, by the way) that appear in comedy, sitcoms specifically. Sedita manages to set forth a simple, concise, easy-to-read (AND understand) method to determining, from an acting standpoint, WHICH character you are (I'm, surprisingly, a "lovable loser" and not, as I had hoped and dreamed, a "womanizer"), and which specific traits are most often and commonly associated with PLAYING these characters ("hopeful" and "optimistic" are two big ones for the "lovable loser"). I can only begin to tell you how incredibly helpful this book has been in my audition preparation and my character creation. If you've ever thought about acting, especially in comedy, PICK UP THIS BOOK!

This is a great, straightforward reference. It covers everything any person needs to know about dining etiquette without any useless "filler" material. The audio format is great and the speaker is one of the best I have listen to.

After a few months as a first year associate at my law firm, one of my former law school classmates told me that their firm had sent its new associates to an etiquette class. I decided that it might be a good idea for me to brush up on my etiquette skills as well, so I purchased this CD and also the Food Scholar Wine Basics CD. I recommend both for new professionals to prepare them for any "dining" situation they may encounter in their first jobs. These situations frequently fall into the "you don't know what you don't know" category of student knowledge.

I, for one, had very little experience in more formal dining situations upon graduating from school. This CD was just what I needed to get myself up-to-speed. It is well-organized and well-presented, covering a number of very specific situations that convey the elements of common sense and consideration that underlie all etiquette.

The author thankfully avoids spending time on how to arrange the seating at a state dinner. What he offers is practical, usable advice on the types of real social interactions that occur in all kinds of business. A very useful CD and well worth the price. Definitely five stars.

I will be graduating from college this year and have started to interview for jobs. I have a decent GPA, am in the career placement office every week for advice, and have spent hours polishing my resume. I thought that I had all my bases covered. Then I started actually interviewing for jobs. I have already had three interviews that included meals and two "mixers" with drinks and appetizers. It was a little overwhelming. I could tell there was an order to things I did not completely understand. A friend recommended this Dining Etiquette CD, so I ordered it. I had yet another meal during an interview after listening to it. It made a big difference. Knowing what to do at every turn during the meal was a confidence booster and I am sure it helped me appear more polished and professional. I HIGHLY recommend it, Two Thumbs Up.

A good etiquette book should sit on every professional's bookshelf alongside "how to win friends" and "7 habits." I purchased this book along with Essential Etiquette Fundamentals, Vol. 2: Wine Selection & Etiquette and The Etiquette Edge: The Unspoken Rules for Business Success to cover all the bases. These books do an excellent job covering the important etiquette skills often overlooked in today's environment. Although often underappreciated, exhibiting proper etiquette signals to others (especially your boss and clients) that you are well educated, care about detail, and have respect for others. I highly recommend these books for anyone new to the business world or for those of us who may need to brush up on the basics.

The last book on CD my wife and I bought was terrible: mens' voices for female characters, etc. And what's the alternative on the radio? Pop music or Howard Stern? I spend twenty percent of my waking life in my car. I might as well spend it wisely. The Food Scholar is easy listening and presented in a way that makes the information easy to learn and remember.

This is a great book. The girls of my girlfriend love the book. As soon as I sit down, they grab a book and jump in my lap.

I stumbled on this with my daughter one night and she quickly fell in love with it.

It's one of the lessor known books but I think it's a great story. Dr. Seuss did a great job with with his words as it easy to get into a flow while reading and it also allows the story teller to play ring master and have fun.

This is a great bed time book and my daughter declared that only I can read it to her.

"If I ran the circus" starts off with a boy and an empty lot. I had a lot similar to this near my childhood home. This book played perfectly into my wild imagination of what one could make out of a seemingly uninteresting place. It made me see things in a different way, the possibility that was in every place and every thing. This book is wonderful. Calm Sneelock is worked into the plan. (Isn't it just typical that kids think of shopkeepers as friends?) This book is a big part of my childhood and now I am happy to share it with my kids to help them see the potential in everything. One just needs to use a bit of imagination -- a lesson for young and old.

My daughter and I love love love this book. It is so creative and everytime we read it (which is seriously twice a day) she finds something new in one of the pictures. The cadence and flow of the sentences is almost mesmerizing. Really delightful to read!

this book is great for kids because they get to see whats at a crcus. it broadens their vocablary. its an easy book to read with great pictures and fun rhyming!

by:
laura r.

This book is awesome. It helps me so much everyday as I am trying to teach Japanese to myself. I have a passion for languages, and this really is a great accent for my passion.

I found it very usefull in learning japanese. It's a very versatile tool.

I bought this dictionary just when I was beginning my fourth semester of japanese lessons, to help me with my future translations and with the learning of new kanji (which is always a useful thing, since many tend to get disappointed when they know they have to learn about 2,000 to read the newspaper).

I have always thought that with any given dictionary, there are two main issues you have to keep in mind: how complete it is, and just how easy it is to use.

I have not as of yet searched for any kanji I have not been able to find, so I'd say it is fairly complete. This is an extremely thorough dictionary, covering not only an incredible amount of individual kanji, but a whole lot of compunds (the dictionary claims over 47,000. I'll take their word.), so there is a very good possibility of you too finding the character you are looking for.

As for the second issue, I must say I'm surprised at how easy it is to find kanji. When i first heard of the system kanji dictionaries used for listing them, I was appalled. I was pleased to find, nevertheless, a full two-page-and-a-half brief manual on how to use the dictionary that gave me all the preparation I needed: I was succesfully looking up kanji in now more than 10 minutes.

Basically, there are two ways in which you can find a given kanji in this dictionary: by their readings (either the on-yomi, or the kun-yomi), and by their stroke count. The 79-radical system can be a little confusing at first, but is fairly simple to get used and not at all as illogical as one might think.

The only complaint I have so far is the lack of internal references made in the dictionary. For instance, one of the appendices lists the 1006 "gakushuu kanji" (the kanji taught in elementary school), but their are numbered straight from 1 to 1006, without the reference to the dictionary entry for each of those kanji. The same thing happens to the kanji in "the 100 most frequent kanji", "the most frequent kanji used in family names", "the 284 extra kanji for use in given names", etc. Adding that would be a real time saver if you are planning, as I am, in using the dictionary as a learning tool.

Still, it's a great tool, and I'm really convinced that this was one of my truly great buys. Definitively 5 stars.

I hesitated ordering this book because a previous reviewer reported that he had found the binding to be inferior. Perhaps this was true in previous bindings, but the copy I recently obtained looks fine in this regard and should stand up to heavy use for some years to come.

I'm finding this an excellent disctionary in all regards, though as a beginner I have not put it to lots of use. Basically I use the New Nelson, with this dictionary as a supplement, especially for compounds. And there are times when this alternate system of radical identification is just easier than the traditional system.

when I did an internet search to locate this, I found a number of negative reviews. Basically the consensus seemed to be that the character lookup system is new and therefore bad.

I disagree. The system the authors developed is the first "rational" approach in that it does not require that you know what the important radical is in order to look up a kanji. Morever, the ability to look up compounds using any character in the compound is very useful.

However, there are some negatives:
(1) the authors are not entirely consistent within their own approach.
E.g., the characters under the radical for hand are grouped under the three character radical, which is the way it is written except when it is written as a single character. However, the character for hand is written with four strokes, and you must know that in order to find it under the three stroke index.
this is the example that comes to mind most immediately, although I believe there are others.
(2) the binding is not of a very high quality. if you use this frequently (which you will), it will eventually break the spine.
i gave away my first version after it split in two. my current version is in four pieces.

on the positive side: this is so extremely useful that I am going to order a third copy.

HIGHLY RECOMENDED.

We are big Doctor Seuss fans and are attempting to get the entire collection for our daughter. Like the book, just too similar to Fox in Socks. Nothing but tongue twisters and no real story.
Great to have if your trying to collect all Dr Seuss books. If completing the collection is not important to you, I would only chose this if you don't already have Fox in Socks

Great book for my 1st grader, he loves the rhyming words throughout.

This book captures literary genius in the form of childish tongue twisters. It proves to be an excellent practice of diction and reading rhythm while providing extreme entertainment for the little listener. The love of words is the beginning of all great literary accomplishment, and this child's book is a step in the right direction.

This book was one of my husbands favorites when he was growing up, and now that we are expecting a child he wanted our son to have the same experience. He was so excited when it arrived that he read it to me as a bedtime story. The riddles start out easy, but by the end of the book your tongue is so twisted it's hard to say anything!! It's a lot of fun and we really look forward to hearing our son try to say these riddles when he learns to speak.

This is a really fun book to read. However, you REALLY have to pay attention to the words or you will mess them up. If you love tongue twisters, this is the book for you. It also is great for young readers, but they may become frustrated with some of the words. It's fun for little ones to listen to and to see how fast you can say these phrases. When you hear "faster, faster," well, you know you're encouraging reading in your child. A very fun book - I recommend it.