Characters Books

I became introduced, and subsequently hooked on the Wolfe books through watching the A & E series a few years ago. While I own all of them I have thus far only managed to get through half of them. As I began reading the books I thought to myself if ever a series begged for a cookbook it was this one, and, much to my delight, there was one.

I recieved the cookbook as a present and have thouroughly enjoyed cooking meals from it. I have yet to make some of the more adventurous dishes such as the Starlings, Grouse (raised on fresh huckleberries), and turttle soup; due both to lack of fund$ and lack of supply. However, I have enjoyed making both the melon and crab salads. As well, I highly recomend Wolfe's Onion soup [especially if you have a cold], Cornbread Griddlecakes, Spareribs and Cassoulet all are delicous and finger-licking good. I warn you now the Nero Wolfe Cookbook is not for those who are on a diet Atkins or otherwise, the character of Wolfe is not known for his sveltness and, besides his relatively sedentary lifestyle, his epicurean nature is a clear indication as to why.

Inserted througout the cookbook are but a minutia of the plethora of food references found throughout Stout's, arguably most successful, series. These mouth watering recipes and qoutes make the cook/reader want to go and read more of the books to see what else Wolfe ate which in turn makes you want to go make more of the food because the books are so detailed about what is served. My only reget in reading this book is that Stout did not publish a second volume of Wolfe's dishes since readers of the series are left wanting more of the recipes to Wolfe's great feasts

If you are a fan of Nero Wolfe, then this is the book for you. REAL recipes used in the stories, the recipes that Fritz Brenner and Nero Wolfe cook with and sometimes fight over, while Archie Goodwin just sits down and enjoys it all. With a forward by Fritz, the book has everything from how to make the pie crust (for the many pies)to griddle cakes (which Archie loves). It even has Nero Wolfe's salad dressing!
ENJOY!

"I beg you not to entrust these dishes to your cook unless he is an artist. Cook them yourself, and only for an occasion that is worthy of them. They are items for an epicure, but are neither finicky nor pretentious; you and your guests will find them as satisfying to the appetite as they are pleasing to the palate. None is beyond your abilities if you have the necessary respect for the art of fine cooking - and are willing to spend the time and care which an excellent dish deserves and must have. Good appetite!"

The above quote from the account one of Nero Wolfe's first investigations ("Too Many Cooks," 1937) serves as one of several introductory notes to this compilation of recipes from Rex Stout's famous mystery series involving the New York epicurean, orchid lover and heavy-weight detective whose exploits have long become as indelible a part of literary history as those of Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Lord Peter Wimsey. And the quote not only sums up to perfection Wolfe's view of the meals served in his house; it also - consequently - provides a taste of the approach one should adopt in using this cookbook. For unlike many other literature-related recipe collections, "The Nero Wolfe Cookbook" need not rely on a great many third-party sources to determine what the great detective might have consumed; a key part of the mysteries themselves are the descriptions of Wolfe's meals, and Wolfe's (as well as his Swiss chef Fritz Brenner's) attitude towards food in general.

All of the recipes presented here were initially developed by chef Michael S. Romano and tested personally by Rex Stout and "New Yorker" food critic Sheila Hibben. And it's all there, from Eggs au Beurre Noir, griddle cakes, and apricot omelet to Fritz Brenner's various duck, duckling, and pork dishes, Wolfe's "relapses," and even the complete menu served by Fritz on the occasion of the annual Ten for Aristology dinner in "Poison a la Carte:" Blinis with Sour Cream (of course without the fatal dose of arsenic someone had added, to Fritz's eternal horror and shame, to one of the guests' plates!), Green-Turtle Soup, Flounder Poached in White Wine, Mussel and Mushroom Sauce, Roast Pheasant, Suckling Pig, Chestnut Croquettes, Salad with Devil's Rain Dressing and Cheese. As you would expect with cuisine as refined as this (and given that we're talking, after all, about the culinary arts of the early and mid-20th century), not all ingredients are easy to track down or even still available; turtles being the obvious example - and frankly, I don't quite share Wolfe's predilection for such things as starlings and marrow dumplings, either. But even foregoing those recipes, there are plenty of others to try your hand at, and to get a flavor of the culinary delights that fueled Wolfe's and his "legman" and chronicler Archie Goodwin's investigations.

In addition to the recipes, the book is lavishly garnished with quotes and excerpts from Rex Stout's - err, excuse me, Archie Goodwin's - narrations, providing the context in which individual dishes were served, as well as an array of photographs by renowned photo artists such as Norman and Lionel Wurts, Roy Perry, Samuel Gottscho, Andreas Feininger, John Muller, and Bernice Abbot; displaying the New York of the 1930s through the 1950s (by many considered the city's golden years, and the heyday of Wolfe's and Archie Goodwin's career), with brownstones like Wolfe's on West 35th Street and other fashionable residences (seen both from outside and inside), 5th Avenue, the Financial District and Times Square, the Empire State Building, Central Park and other green spots, Madison Square Garden, Fulton and other markets, the Staten Island Ferry, Grand Central and Penn Stations, and New York restaurants of various degrees of elegance and refinement. Thus, this is much more than "just" a cookbook - in fact, it's an introduction to Wolfe's entire world and style of life; tastefully uniting the essence of Archie Goodwin's manifold accounts in a single volume.

"I have not a great hope that many people will eat superior meals because they buy this book and use it," cautions Fritz Brenner in his own foreword. "The facts about food and cooking can be learned and understood by anyone with good sense, but if the feeling of the art of cooking is not in your blood and bones the most you can expect is that what you put on your table will be mangeable. ... But I do not think this book will make your food any the worse. At least it should help with some of the facts." And that, after all, is plenty already, I think. So savor, enjoy, and, in Wolfe's words - good appetite!

A wonderful companion to the Nero Wolfe experience, but the recipes are not for the inexperienced cook. We started with the baked scallops and were delighted, but there are several steps and you can screw up easily if you lack the right equipment or skills.

The excerpts are sly and the pictures are endearing. We wouldn't have minded a few images of the entrees, but the photos of period New York gently blur the line between fiction and reality, as does the whole book itself.

Buy this one if you are Wolfe obsessive, or (much better) if you can cook. But beware! Wolfe's tastes reflect a complete disregard for his health, so butter, eggs, and cream are in every second dish. A few call for ingredients you can't get (turtle meat, for example), but most rely on a short litany of spices and vegetables on top of easily found meats and fishes.

You will never really be able to have Fritz come visit your kitchen, but it's fun to imagine him watching over your shoulder, or peeking into your dining room, as you savor what might have been his own cooking (if you're chef enough, that is).

(Oh, our copy lacked the last page of the index, and it appears to be a printing, rather than binding error. Annoying, but we've given it 5 stars anyway.)

Yes, like the previous two reviews stated, this is a MUST for Rex Stout aficionados, but also for those interested the period. There are very nice photographs showing New York and the various locales mentioned in the books. I particularly enjoyed the pics of the brownstones like the one owned by Nero Wolfe and inhabited by Archie Goodwin, Theodore Horstman, Fritz Brenner and Nero Wolfe.

It appears that Ms. Monfredo's books are no longer in print, which is a true shame. I generally have no use for historical fiction, but she takes great pains to try to have the facts in a row. One of the things I like best is the encyclopedia-type entries in the back of the books detailing where history stops and where fiction begins. As somebody with a bit of a mental block where history's concerned, I appreciate not learning "fiction in the guise of facts" to get myself in trouble. LOL

In addition to this, the stories are just plain good. The publishing order is the chronological order, and I recommend reading them that way. They don't go immediately head-to-tail, but they do interconnect in ways that will make more sense if you read them in order.

I have to say that, being in VA, I found a small mistake in this book where it takes place in my area. It doesn't hurt the story a bit, and, according to other locals I've talked to who wouldn't have recognized the mistake either, it doesn't seem to be all that common of knowledge.

This is an EXCELLENT series, and I strongly urge people to check it out.

I loved this book. Though it is the second in the series, it was the first one for me, and I intend to read the rest of the series now. It rates a close second to City Of Light in the realm of historical fiction based in my part of NY State. I like that it includes real characters along with the most important issues of the time, and murder, mystery, romance and good fictional character development.

Miriam Grace Monfredo is one of the best historical mystery writers today, and her skills are well displayed in this book, the second in the Glynis Tryon series set in the upstate New York town of Seneca Falls in the middle of the 19th century. Glynis is the town librarian, with a strong belief in women's suffrage (along with her friend Elizabeth Cady Stanton). Until this story unfolds, however, she has been less supportive of the abolitionist cause which was strongly supported around Seneca Falls through participation in the Underground Railroad. Through the events linked to this murder mystery, however, Glynis is forced to rethink her position and ends up travelling as far as Richmond to fight against the Fugitive Slave Act.

One of the best things about Monfredo's stories is that she shares with you an entire town, in all its complexity and liveliness. Every character in the book is lovingly and lavishly drawn, and several plots unfold simultaneously which gives the stories a feeling of authenticity that is hard to beat.

You will want to rush out and buy the next story (Blackwater Spirits) immediately, to see how Glynis's friendship with the new Seneca/French constable, Jacques, turns out!

This wonderful and touching mystery gives wonderful insight into life before the Civil War in various parts of the United States. The characters are extremely well drawn--the reader develops real concern and care for them--and seem very representative of the times. This would be a challenging time period to write about and Monfredo does it with compassion. An excellent series best read in order but don't let that stop you from reading any of them. I can't wait for the next one.

This is the second Glynis Tryon Mystery, and it is even better than the first one, Seneca Falls Inheritance. It is now 1854, six years after "Inheritance," and the abolitionist debate is going strong. The Republican Party has just been founded in Ripon, Wisconsin.

Glynis strongly believes in obeying the law of the land, but she is unable to obey the Fugitive Slave Act by turning in Kiri, a lovely young girl who has escaped from a plantation in Virginia, and who is the beloved of Glynis' landlady's son, Niles. Glynis helps get Kiri to the home of Frederick Douglass, where she is hidden awaiting the opportunity to escape to Canada, where Niles plans to join her. When Niles is captured and taken to Virginia for trial, Glynis and Jeremiah Merrycoyf go to Virginia to try to save him. There ensues a fine courtroom drama, with Glynis turning up a key piece of evidence. Glynis and Merrycoyf return to Seneca Falls, and the villian, Thomas Farley, is unmasked.

This is but a small sample of the plot twists of this delightful book. It is a great read, and you will learn a bit of American history in the bargain.

watziznaym@gmail.com

he loves this Hamtaro stuff :)

I was like 26 when I bought this book. I know it's for kids, but I love the Hamtaro cartoon and animation style so got it to get more into this and it worked perfectly. I enjoy the high quality illustrations and all the fun activities through out the book. If I was a kid I would have gone crazy about this one. It's as cool as the cartoons.

I REALLY like this book. It has to be still one of my favorite books. I got alot of hamtaro books and this has to be the best book of Hamtaro I own. The only thing is that I wish they could of included information about the Japanese verison but still a great buy!

And I just love all those colorful pictures!

I am a huge Hamtaro fan. I surf over the web and have lot's of information about the show. So I decided that I should try to start collecting the books a little while ago. One of my first ones was this book, but I didn't expect to learn more about the show with it. It surprised me a little bit. I found out a few more things with the book and learned alittle bit more about the Ham-Hams. I also really enjoyed the little comics in the back. It doesn't have much new things in it like Season 2 of the show or the guest Ham-Hams (Like Hannah in Season 2 in that one episode), but I enjoyed very much. It is a must have for Hamtaro fans.

For those who are fans of Hamtaro, you won't want to miss this book. This has information about all the major ham-hams --- pictures, age, gender, owner(s), star sign, hobbies and more. It also has human info and family trees. You'll also get an episode guide with varying detail, song notes and lyrics for the original opening theme (but not the new second season theme) and dance steps and lyrics for the closing theme. You'll even get to see what Penelope looks like without her yellow blanket on.

A nice bonus in this guide is an original story with the ham-hams sporting a 3D look called "Bijou's Lost Bracelet." There's also several short stories from Ritsuko Kawai (Hamtaro creator) about a group of ham-hams called the Helfpul Hamsters who are a lot like the characters from Hamtaro.

Unfortunately, it seems like Hamtaro has largely gone into hibernation lately. I hope that someday, though, they'll be able to release another book. With two seasons and a 104 episodes (and some specials) aired in the U.S. and Canada, there's a lot more episode and character info they still could cover, even if there never are anymore new episodes of the show.

I have just started reading the Disney Girls and enjoy them very much.In the story,Jasmine has 4 best friends but no best best friend.I thought it was funny,and very well-written.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. The story is very interesting and I can put it down! The most inspiring part is that Jasmine wanted to find out if Isabelle was a Disney Girl as I was curious and I wished Jasmine could had a best best friend. I am very glad the other Disney Girls accepted Isabelle and Jamine's dream had came true! What a wounderful ending! I would recommend this book to my friends and relatives!

Why didn't I find out about these books before? Being an ALADDIN fan, I really enjoyed this one. Jasmine and four other girls share characteristics like those of the Disney princesses, but Jasmine is the odd-girl-out with no best-best friend, and when a new girl, Isabelle, arrives, Jasmine starts to become hopeful...maybe she's even a Disney Girl! Great way to start a series!

I picked his book out in Disney World, because it looked good. This is one of the best series I have ever read. The book is about a girl named Jasmine and she is supposed to be like Princess Jasmine. The other Princess's are Belle, Ariel,Snow White, Cinderella, and Pocahantous. My faverite princess is Belle.

I love the Disney Girls! I decided to read this book on a trip mostly because it was In at the library (when I read a series, I like to read them in order) and because I couldn't find anything else. I am SO GLAD that I couldn't, because these books are SO COOL!!!

The footnotes for each episode are by the far the best part of this book.

I was exposed to this series in reverse!! I read the books, then saw the BBC shows, and finally heard the BBC radio show. There are subtle and not so subtle differences in all the different media, but they are all pure Douglas Adams!!! The radio scripts are an essential, and clarify (At least for me they did) many things that were not co clear. Not everyone is drawn to the scripts of the favorite shows/broadcasts, but as I have all the scripts for the Monty Python shows, it works for me. Especially if you are a fan of "British" humor, most of which lies in the dialog, it is pure delight to read through these scripts!!

So, you've read the books... bought the tv series on dvd, gone through all the special features (including the comment captions on the film)... read the biographies... and hunted up collectors items on ebay. What next?

Get this book. "The Original Hitchhiker Radio Scripts" contains many scenes not in the books and, if you've already heard the radio series, many lines that were trashed for time. There is also commentary after each episode by Perkins and Adams.

Some things will seem eerily familiar, then zoom off into a completely different direction and, in my opinion, a better direction. Of course, some things are missing that make the books equally essential.

You can currently get this at a pretty good price used from amazon. Get it now before you can't get it at all.

Although it requires a fair amount of effort to sift through the directions and radio-style writing, the reward is some stuff that I, frankly, find much funnier than much of the Hitchhiker novel series. Recommended to anyone who wants a good laugh, and especially to Hitchhiker fans.

...life forms are required to use a seldom-exercised ability called "imagination" which, with effort, allows the user to paint a mental tapestry that is superior in many respects to any computer generated image or subjective image of perfection.

(takes a breath)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy goes on a bit about the relative superiority of radio as a medium that stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain, but it also notes several references to various works that endure in a medium regarded as deader than the telegraph.

The Hitchhiker's Guide is not only proof that radio is still a viable medium for drama, but that Douglas Adams is a genius. The show, scripted week-by-week by DNA and Geoffrey Perkins was easily translated to books and television with minimal edits. Yes, the second series is a bit off the ultimate track, but it is quite original and the foot notes from Douglas and Perkins are very insightful. These footnotes exist as a log of what took place when it all began and, sadly, as the only memoir to them.

If you can find it, get it.

Ohhhh Petunia!!! Believe it or not I found this book for 50 cents at a thrift store in mint condition having never read it before, by far the best deal I ever got with money from the bottom of my purse! Petunia is a silly goose for sure thinking just cause she "finds" a book one day that carrying it under her wing is enough to make her wise, but of course its not and proud, proud Petunia keeps stretching her neck out and butting her big neck into everyones troubles and only making them worse till one day it finally blows up in her face (literally)! But that was the best thing that could have happened to the silly goose cause it humbled her back to where her little neck belonged and teaches her its not enough to just carry a book but to learn to read it and thats the way to be wise in your mind and your heart, and maybe then she can truly help her friends! Absolute Classic!!! A good spoonful of humble pie right at bedtime.

This is a book I remembered vaguely from my own childhood and bought for my son on a whim. He loves it. In fact, he received it on Christmas day and has insisted that it be read at bedtime every night since then. Literally.

So, will your child love it? Probably so. Will you? Probably so, at first. For our part, my husband and I are growing a little weary of it. But in the land of childrens books, that's probably the best you can hope for, right?

The illustrations are fun and entertaining and the language is clear and fun. I'd give this as a gift again, or would certainly recommend it to others.

Petunia is a silly goose who finds a book and believes she'll be wiser if she's seen carrying it around. And the other barnyard animals actually think she *is* wiser because of it. The thing of it is, she's still just a silly goose, who gets her friends into all sorts of scrapes.

"Petunia" is a pleaser but gets a little too philosophical in the last two pages. That's okay-- the first pages and clean 1950s illustrations make up for it. A classic.

Petunia is a goose, she finds a book and suddenly realises that she must be very intelligent. So she carries the book around under her arm. Other animals in the farm come to her for advice which she dispenses, but usually without good results. Then she comes across a box, she thinks she knows what to do - unfotunately her advice is not good for dealing with a box of fireworks.

There is disaster and Petunia has enough sense to realise that she has not gained any knowledge from simply carrying a book around but must read what is within the pages.

An appealing and quirky book. Also try out Petunia's Christmas. Very good child appealing parables.

Petunia was a fourth grade favorite of mine many years ago. Her "wisdom" was so cleverly revealed in the end that I kept the book checked out of the school library all year long.

Wonderful retelling of Cherokee story handed down through the oral retelling of old stories by the grandmothers of the tribe.

I am a former fifth grade instructor, a National Board Certified Teacher, and a college professor in Teacher Preparation. I highly recommend the Grandmother Stories series to elementary and early childhood instructors and parents who are homeschooling their children. The books have appropriate vocabulary and tell stories that explain nature in a creative manner. I learned several things I did not know about nature and its interactions from these books. Children love to have the books read to them and to read them to themselves. Duvall and Jacobs are a wonderful creative force as they merge their talents to produce books that will be enjoyed for generations to come.

This review appeared in Roundup Magazine, Oct. 2004. A children's picture book that recounts Cherokee historian and storyteller Duvall's latest rabbit tale. Volume 4 of the University's "Grandmother Stories," Rabbit and the Bears tells the story of Rabbit accompanying his friend, Yona the Bear, to the Mulberry Place in the Smoky Mountains where Yona participates in the bears' ceremonial dances every autumn. Rabbit sees a bear with an arrow in his shoulder running from a hunter. Yona and Rabbit follow the wounded bear to the Magic Lake, Ata-Gahi, where the injured bear is healed. Rabbit wishes to know more about bear medicine, but Yona teaches him many other things...a wonderful story suited for the very young as well as elementary school children.

The Grandmother Stories are eloquent, beautifully illustrated tales that recapture the imagination of Native America. Deborah Duvall and Murv Jacob have done a brilliant job of revisiting the mythic world of Rabbit, Bear and Otter and introducing them to a contemporary audience. These characters are timeless, as are their stories, and readers of all ages will delight in their antics and unique insights. (...)

Takes the reader into a magical world where real problems are solved in the ancient way by teaching examples of timeless characters, such as Rabbit and Bear. Based on Cherokee legend and tradition, the prose and the artwork are subtle and refined enough for adults but also intriguing to children. I'm sending all four of the books now available to all of my grandchildren, knowing that not only will the kids enjoy them but their parents as well. It's a pleasure to be able to recommend something new in the world of children's books that is so fun and worthwhile.

Sabrina the teenage witch competes in a witch's spelling bee(a spell-casting contest)and her prize is a reality check(a cheque she can cash in to change any event of her choice)Only problem is that EVERYTHING is going wrong so how is a girl to decide what to change?!!!!!!!!!!Life's hard!

This is a pretty good book.On this book Sabrina competes in the Other Realm spelling bee,wins and gets a Reality Check!But Aunt Hilda and Zelda are under a 24 hour time-release spell witch is causing a disruption in their lives!To learn more just read the book!

Reality Check (Sabrina The Teenage Witch)is a great book. I could read it over and over again. It's fun reading about all the trouble that she gets herself into, and how she gets herself out of it. It's fun and easy to read. Everybody should read it.

Sabrina wins the first prize in the spelling bee contest -- and it is a reality check.her spelling bee prize has her world abuzz.she can change only one incident. but which one? she has no idea.Aunt hilda and zelda are in a 24 hour time release spell which is causing many complicated problems in their lives,HARVEY Needs money after his motor cycle accident,Val resigns as school news paper editor and libby twists her ankle just before her cheerleading stuff.

in the end she used it wisely though. it was a great read. the ending of this book was mind boggling. it was too good a read. She finally uses the check to save - nah fooled you. I am not 1 bit interested in spoiling your read. so i suggest you to buy this book which is another great book added in this great series.lllooooovveeeeellllyyyy.Got to read it

This book was completely a breath taking addition to this sereis.Tooooooooo coooooooool. Sabrina wins the national spelling bee and the first prize is a REALITY CHECK. but she doesn't have a single idea on where to use it. because her spelling bee prize has her world abuzz. Finally, she uses it in the right way - by using it to save - no no no i don't want to spoil your read . The ending was a little dissapointing though. anyway the style of writing was great . Diana.G.Gallagher is by far one of my favourite Sabrina authors.Keep up the good work!

I bought this book on a bit of a whim. I'm glad I did. It has become a great blessing in my life. Basically, it is little snippets in the life of a Real Live Preacher who happens also to be quite human. The people in his life and in his church are quite human. Together, they live lives that transcend human. They give me great hope that even I may one day grow to be like them.

Call me a disciple, if you will. Someone linked to someone who linked to ... through a myriad of weblog links I found myself at RealLivePreacher.com and became hooked with the first sentence.

My copy of Preacher's book came in the mail today and my own muse hit with a fury after I dipped into it.

"It arrived in a plain bubble wrap envelope and was sitting in the mailbox at home. As soon as I saw it, I knew what it was. Something I was anxious to read. I plucked it out of the box, hoping the rain hadn't damaged the book inside. Nervously, I opened the envelope full of hope and pulled the book out; no damage. As I squeezed between the recycle bin and the shed to put the envelope in the trash can, my hands shook as I opened it.

What would the inscription say? Did they even remember to send it to the author for signature? He doesn't know me from anyone. Well, maybe as that woman who has sent him more than a couple of emails basically saying, 'your blog piece on this really touched me.' He also knows me as that woman who asked him to read a story of hers. Gracious man that he is, he read it and replied. I held my breath and found it, 'Hi Stephanie, peace!' Cool.

As I squeezed back out to the driveway, I completely forgot about the groceries in Car's backseat. Randomly flipping pages, I stopped on a two page piece and started reading. The words sucked me in, I was completely transfixed. It was like jumping into a really comfortable swimming pool and staying under for the sheer joy of it.

I forced myself to go back and read the parts I skimmed over because I was so anxious to read it. The topic was fundamentalism. As I read, I wondered how one of the people I work with would feel were she to read these words. That thought lasted a femto-second as I kept reading. At the end of the piece, I breathed and came out of the book. There, in the cool air that promised more rain, I had lost track. I stood in my driveway, looked at the cover and blinked. Darn, now I have to put the groceries away.

The book is RealLivePreacher.com and all I have to say is, 'Thanks, Preacher and peace to you too.'"

Read Preacher's book and you'll understand why his readers are so devoted.

For the last several nights, I have been tucking myself into bed and reading an entry from the book RealLivePreacher.com, which is from the website bearing the same name. I happened to come across the site by accident when I was designing my blog. When I saw the words "RealLivePreacher.com" I thought, "Oh, great... some ultra conservative fundamentalist Christian is spreading fire and damnation online." Despite this initial knee-jerk reaction, I felt compelled to click on the link to see just what kind of fruitcake was at the other end of the internet.

The rabbit hole I stumbled down led me into the world of Gordon Atkinson, who really is a real, live, preacher with a blog. He was doing an online booksigning for his newly published compilation of weblogs, and was sitting at a desk in a bookstore in Texas with what looked like can of beer sitting in front of him. (Maybe it was sarsparilla, the resolution was bad.. it was hard to tell.)

I thought, "Hmmm, well that's rather odd and oxymoronic ... who IS this guy?"

What I found as I navigated through the site were entries with titles like "Apparantly I Might Be A False Prophet", and "What's In the Preacher's Pants?" I don't think I have to explain the immediate liking I took to the preacher's blog.

Gordon has an easy way of writing, weaving a tapestry of words from the heart. It's an honest and sometimes blunt look at life and faith from a man who readily admits he doesn't have all of the answers. You won't find any prehistoric brimstone here. What you WILL find is a creative, funny, surprisingly real man who not only shoots straight from hip - he's shooting straight from the heart.

Gives a whole new meaning to Don't Mess With Texas.

My favorite entry, which can be found in his book is titled, "Something About Prayer" - a tender story about a little girl fervently asking the congregation to pray for her ailing hermit crab. What happened in the preacher's heart in response to this request brought tears to my eyes. No request is too small, and no question is too big to ponder. Real Live Goodness awaits you inside this wonderful little book.

Have you ever picked up a book, flipped it open... and fallen in love?

The book that did that to me is RealLivePreacher.com, based on a blog of the same name- just blog entries, collected and published (hope for all you bloggers out there!).

I had to buy it.

And now, I have to recommend it.

While a pastor writing essays about his preaching and church experiences may not, on the face of it, promise engrossing writing and gripping tales, this book delivers.

I don't see eye to eye with Gordon on everything... but where would the fun be in that? In fact, more than just entertaining, this book is challenging- And I love that.

Buy it.

"If the wafers are going stale for you, be the bread yourself. Break yourself open and nourish the world..."

Two years ago a pastor of a small church in San Antonio, Texas, signed onto the web at Salon.com and began a journey. This dangerous expedition was an odyssey to plumb the depths of his core in order to share his own fears, doubts and desires. And, in the daring process of baring his soul before faceless millions, his weblog, RealLivePreacher.com, grew into one of the most widely read blogs in the world.

This collection of some of "The Preacher's" finest essays is a fascinating study into belief as experienced by an all-too-human man of the cloth. Atkinson is a no-holds-barred type of blogger. He makes no attempt to beautify the ugly realities of dealing with faith. He struggles in the dirt with it; he uses the f-word when appropriate; he takes no prisoners and leaves no stones unturned. And, when he occasionally loses his belief in God, he freely admits it. For example, when he can't deal with the glossiness of the modern-day, super-organized church versus the simple loving communion that Christ and his followers shared, he doesn't rein in his aversion.

Both new and veteran readers of RealLivePreacher.com will adore the characters who have helped Atkinson trek the dusty roads of his faith walk. There's big Earl the Gravedigger, friend and atheist. There's George the Deacon, dying of AIDS who enjoys a hit on his bong while partaking of his last communion. There's tiny Everett, born too soon, who dies before he can take his first breath but somehow manages to testify that hope can be born of sorrow. And then there's precious Elliot, a long-awaited child whose parents demonstrate the true meaning of forgiveness when a newcomer in Sunday school brutally bites him.

All in all, the most fascinating aspect of RealLivePreacher.com is its striking honesty. The Preacher shows us how God works faith in each and every one of us, no matter how broken, lost or thoroughly screwed up we are. This is Good News indeed. -- Cindy Appel for the FEARLESS REVIEWS

I read this book in one day. It was great. I just couldn't put it down. I got absolutely nothing else done that day because all I did was read. Erynn Mangum's characters in the book are so intriguing and funny. I absolutely loved the character of Lauren. I think I liked the character so much because it reminded me of myself. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes some good chick lit!

I loved this book. Erynn Mangum is such an awesome author. She is definitely one of my new favorites. I can't wait for the third book in this series to come out!

I loved Erynn's first book MissMatch. BUT Rematch is even better. Erynn does a wonderful job of bringing you through the characters lives. You feel a part of them w/o feeling bored by unnecessary details. "Lauren Holbrook" is a fun character and the situations she gets herself into will have you laughing out loud! The multiple relationships all going at the same time keep the book moving, while the undercurrent of Lauren's own relationships keeps you wondering. I couldn't put the book down and I loved every minute of the read. Usually "chick lit" books are a litte shallow. Erynn manages to keep the book light and enjoyable w/o being shallow. There are definitely some "deep" things dealt with, yet the overall feeling of the book is FUN!

Lauren Holbrook feels her calling in life is bringing people together. She's good at it too. Just look at her friends, Nick and Ruby, who are currently on their honeymoon, thanks to Lauren's matchmaking abilities. Now she has set her sights on Brandon, her best friend, and Hannah, a fellow employee. These two belong together. They just don't realize it, but Lauren plans to change that. She's also trying to set up friends, Shawn and Hallie. Obviously these matches are made in heaven. All they need is a little push from Lauren. Of course, she's not interested in romance, but Ryan, Ruby's brother, seems to be underfoot a lot. Then her father attends a Christian Singles Conference, and meets a woman he's interested in. Suddenly there isn't enough coffee in the world to calm Lauren's fears. What kind of woman? What if she's a genetic scientist? This is one match she can't control.
Excellent follow up to Miss Match, book one in the Lauren Holbrook novels. The characters are well developed and the dialogue fast paced and witty. I'm hoping there's a book three in the works.

The enchanting matchmaker Lauren Holbrook is back, better than ever in the sequel to the brilliant Missmatch!

Riding the wave of her successful pairing of her work colleague and Bible Study leader, Lauren sets her sights on her hapless single friends, confident she can lead them into their happily ever after.

While consuming copious amounts of coffee and cheesecake, Lauren plots to bring her favourite barrista, Shawn into both wedded bliss with newcomer, Hallie and belief in God, preferably in reverse order!

Lauren's life is suddenly complicated when her widowed Dad announces he is off to a singles retreat, Meet Your Match in Michigan, construction worker Ryan Palmer causes flutters in her stomach when he smiles and then there is Brandon Knox, her best buddy in the whole world without a girl of his own ~ what's a girl to do?!

Erynn Mangum has done it again! Rematch is wonderful, replete with sparkling wit, gregarious and uplifting characters and a story that will leave you with a happy heart. Lauren's stellar voice continues to shine brightly and despite her meddling, you can't help but love her. Her naivety in her own love life is delightful and I can't wait to see how Erynn resolves that. Lauren's friends and family are just as appealing each epitomising integrity yet with enough foibles to be realistic. The final scene is a treasure ~ a secret mission with code names Vizzini and Inigo was the icing on the cake! All that was left for me to do was close the book and watch Pride & Prejudice, which I did. Read Rematch and you will understand why! This is one of those unique books that can be read and enjoyed by anyone, from the teen years and beyond!