Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

This is a very black, dark book. This is not a book for kids, nor is it a book for people who haven't read anything by Ellison previously. Harlan Ellison is one of those rare writers that can finish a story so powerfully, that you'll feel like you've been literally stabbed in the heart. Like many of Ellison's short story collections, he deals with a specific theme. In this book, he writes short stories about gods, in all their myriad shapes and forms. Gods of machines, pain, rocks, speed, revenge, among others. Of the 19 stories in this collection, let me tell you what I consider to be the best. THE WHIMPER OF WHIPPED DOGS: Ellison's award-winning retelling of the Kitty Genovese incident. Never heard of Kitty Genovese? Don't worry, after reading this chilling tale, you'll make sure you remember. BASILISK: A traitor to his country comes home and finds that he is not welcome. A little confusing at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it. PRETTY MAGGIE MONEYEYES: Don't let the strange title deceive you. This is Ellison in TOP form. Ever wondered what gods reside at the casinos and what they have in mind. It's not PRETTY, I can assure you. ERNEST AND THE MACHINE GOD: An easy-to-visualize story about a girl in a car-accident and her meetings at a gas station. ADRIFT OFF THE ISLETS OF LANGERHANS . . . : Another award-winning story about a man trying to find the geographical location of his soul. THE DEATHBIRD: Still another award-winner. This one is Ellison's retelling of Genesis. This story has a very innovative structure to it. You'll see what I mean, when you buy this book.

While I typically associate Harlan Ellison with Science Fiction, I'm somewhat hesitant to call all of these stories SciFi... they are more like Twilight Zone episodes. They are 19 short stories that involve individuals getting caught up in all sorts of fantastic situations. While there is a general underlying theme of the stories involving "Gods", I found that the main uniting feature was the fantastic nature of the stories.

Some sample reviews from the collection:

ALONG THE SCENIC ROUTE(1969)***** - Ellison published this tale of "Road Rage" way back in the late 60's. It is definately a classic, and one of the more SciFi-esque stories from this collection. Richard K. Morgan recently tried to do a modern "Road Rage" novel, MARKET FORCES(2005)***, which takes ideas from ALONG THE SCENIC ROUTE, but ultimately falls flat.

O YE OF LITTLE FAITH(1968)**** - A young man of no faith in any god, is accompanying his mid-30's girlfriend back from a quick Tijuana abortion, in this pre-Roe vs. Wade world (Roe vs. Wade was decided in late 1973), and finds himself transported to a world populated by gods nobody believes in any longer.

PRETTY MAGGIE MONEYEYES(1967)*** - A sad story of two people's fateful encounter via a Slot Machine in a Las Vegas Casino. One is a pretty poor girl, who turns to prostitution to claw her way from the ghetto to Beverly Hills; the other is a long-time Vegas loser, who is down to his last dollar, and who's luck is about to change, but is it for the better?

CORPSE(1972)**** - A Latin American Studies professor from Columbia University, a man of some faith in Christianity, begins to see the emergence of a new type of god - the Automobile God, but ultimately fails to realize the inevitability and make the transition to the new faith.

SHATTERED LIKE A GLASS GOBLIN(1969)***** - A Marine, recently back from Vietnam, enters and becomes consumed by the varied pesonalities and drugs in a 60's "Party House"... reminds me of an old house my recently graduated high school buddies rented in San Diego, CA in the 70's (and which was slated to be razed along with the adjacent drive-in theater, to make way for a new shopping center). Like O YE OF LITTLE FAITH, this story is notable for the snapshot it gives of a Beatle's White Album-era America. Indeed, having just said that, I just realized that the title of this story SHATTERED LIKE A GLASS GOBLIN(1969), seems to be a play on the title of the Beatle's White Album song LOOKING THROUGH A GLASS ONION(1968).

This book has recently been republished by the SFBC in December 2005, as part of the third set of books in the SFBC 50th Anniversary Collection.

Harlan presents some stellar stories here about what modern gods might be like in what one would call a pessimistic, cynical outlook. He moves through such milieus as sci-fi, high fantasy and even urban fantasy through this book.

The best stories are very hard-hitting and emotionally affecting. These include The Whimper of Whipped Dogs, a retelling of the Kitty Genovese episode about the alleged god of New York City, The Basilisk, where the most terrifying aspect of the story is how a small town treats a returning POW and Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes where a manipulative woman continues to manipulate even after death. There are some other good stories, such as the road rage tale, though not as emotionally hard-hitting.

The problems in several of the stories stem from an abundance of cleverness. Rather than letting the story take the forefront, Harlan chooses to favor style over substance in an attempt to showcase his virtuoisity in the various methods of writing. This lessened some of his stories for me. He is most successful doing this in the titular tale, The Deathbird, but it was still distracting even there.

A very good collection though, despite the flaws. It is unapologetic and uncomprimising demanding you take the stories on their own terms.

For those fans of Ellison, you will not be disappointed, for those of you not familiar with Ellison, this one will have you hitting the used book stores in a vain hope of finding more fodder for your mind. (Don't bother looking, I already hit every book store myself.) Reading this book is like seeing Mohammed Ali box or Stevie Ray Vaughn play the guitar, you get the feeling of seeing the best at his best. Every story in this collection is a gem, some more than others. "The Whimpering of Whipped Dogs" is a classic in and of itself. "The Deathbird" is the most amazing story ever created by a fantasy writer and I say this with no hyperbole. Go out and get this book . . . NOW! It will change the way you view the world and yourself. Other books make this promise, Deathbird Stories is the only book I've ever read that actually delivers.

I read this book because, in the acknowledgements his wonderful novel "American Gods," neil gaiman said this book burned itself into the back of brain when he was still young enough for something like that to happen.

Well, how can you resist an endorsement like that? So, I raced up to the nearest library that had this book (an hour or so away, I'll have you know) and checked it out. And befoul these modern gods if it didn't blow my mind. At least, parts of it did.

Most of the stories - "the Whimper of Whipped Dogs," "Shattered Like a Glass Goblin," "Basilisk," and "Ernest and the Machine God," just to name a few - are really brilliant. They will twist your mind around like only certain versions of certain myths can. They will smack your conciousness around until you think there really are gods in the engine of your car and that traitors really are the high priests of Aries. They will, as Niel Gaiman says, burn themselves into the back of your brain.

Others, however, are not so brilliant. A few simply repeated ideas put forth in other, better stories. Some were simply not as interesting as the others, and some were both uninteresting and sordid. But please note that "some" could and should be read as "one, two at the outside." The majority are amazing.

On the whole, however, this is a wonderful book. I am shocked and dismayed to find that it it unavailable. I think anybody who is into mythology should read this book, just for some of the ideas expressed in it. So should anyone who read "American Gods" and thought it was cool, too. They should have a good time pointing to certain stories and saying, "Neil Gaiman lifted that, that and that." I recommend this book highly. Even with the few faulty tales herein, it is definately worth the time.

This writer is very clever in the evaluation of Harry Potter. The author comes up with many different scenarios based on facts in the first six books and gives deep thought to all possibilities. This book is a great read for the Potter fan that is anxiously awaiting Book 7!

I've read three HP 'prediction' books, and this was definitely the most enjoyable read. The author clearly has given this a great deal of thought; he not only discusses his ideas on 'the big questions' that we all have (and came up with some fascinating twists to think about!) but also presents a number of small details that I guarantee never occurred to you, but once you read them you can't stop thinking about them and where they may lead. I especially loved that he referenced books with page numbers for every assertion he made, so that I could go back and reread in more detail. It was fun to reread parts, after having been given additional insight to their meanings.

I also greatly liked the friendly, very personal style of writing. I see why other reviewers said it felt like having a conversation with a (similarly obsessed) friend. Reading this made me that much more impatient for Deathly Hallows!!!

I thought I had studied the Harry Potter books, but the author of this book has really done his homework. The book addresses predictions for Book 7, important questions that must be answered in this last book, set-ups from previous books in the series that must pay off in Book 7, and the all-important issue of whether Snape is good or evil. CasaBianca supports all of his predictions and theories with evidence culled from the Harry Potter books themselves, and published interviews with JKR. He freely admits that some of his theories are going to be wrong, but you have to concede that they all make sense.

The book is written in a very conversational tone; it's kind of like having an animated discussion about Book 7 with an old friend over a butterbeer. A very enjoyable read.

If you are like me, having read books again to glean hints from previous HP books to see how it all ends, this is an exciting book. Louis CasaBianca has systematically gone through and has formed speculative answers how our favorites end up.
I simply do not want the series to end, and I am no kid. Hallows looks to be a violent scary book. In a perfect world, good conquers evil, but I guess in the real world the balance doesn't fall that way. This book gives predictions of what the clues from Book 1 on have to say.
While this book doesn't calm fears about what Rowling will do to our favorite Hogwart friends, it does give an educated theory on what will happen in Hallows.
Worth cost of the book.

As Harry Potter fans everywhere gear up for the release of the seventh and final novel in the septology, devoted fans and authors are throwing in their final two cents on what they think is going to happen in the coming book "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". What secrets and mysteries are going to be explored and explained? Which characters are going to survive the final battle?...and which aren't? What set-ups that have spanned several books are finally going to pay off? How does it all end?

Most H.P. fans know that half the fun is in exploring these possibilities and theories while eagerly awaiting the arrival of the one book that is going to give us all the answers. Louis CasaBianca, author of "Defogging the Future: Unauthorized Speculation about the Seventh and Final Book of the Harry Potter Series" is the most comprehensive, insightful, and down-right entertaining foray into answering the unknown, and theorizing just what the heck J.K. Rowling is up to!

Within this book, the author fearlessly explores the remaining mysteries, and attempts to weigh in with their well-educated and well-researched guesses at whats going to happen. Half of the book is dedicated to the enigmatic and confounding issues surrounding Severus Snape (Is Snape good or evil? What are his true motivations for his actions? Why does Snape think, act, speak, and behave the way he does?), while the remaining half of the book is dedicated to the myriad of other remaining mysteries.

At the beginning of the book the author clearly makes 33 fearless predictions for Book 7, and then proceeds to support these predictions (some of which will have you going "What!? Why on earth would he think that!?), while others are obvious and easy predictions to make. Just to wet your appetite, here a few predictions included in the author's original thirty:
**Voldemort gave Lily Potter several chances to live as a reward to Peter Pettigrew for betraying the Potters. Pettigrew betrayed the Potters because he wanted Lily for himself, under the Imperius curse or dosed with a love potion. (Those of us who have already read Book 7 know that this prediction is wrong, but it is still fun to read the author's support for this idea).
**Sometime during Book Seven we will return to the Ministry of Magic, to the Death Room and/or the "Locked Room". The Locked Room is almost surely the "Love Room," and is the most probable site for the final battle between Harry and Voldemort.
**Fleur Delacour will kill Fenrir Greyback, while transformed into one of the Veela-birds described in "Goblet of Fire". (This is one of the predictions that was admittedly a little off the wall, but it's fun none-the-less).
**We will spend much more time reviewing the memories of Severus Snape -- and the author was very correct with this one!

After exploring his 33 predictions, and the evidence he has discovered to back up these predictions, the author also discusses 20 burning questions that remain, along with examining 12 different set-ups that have yet to pay off. Bottom line, this is a must-have for H.P. fans, and no one will be disappointed with this intriguing and delightfully humorous book!

Having just returned to this series after a long hiatus, I have to admit that it was a pleasure to spend a little more time with Relkin, Bazil, the other legionnaires, and the various ancillary characters. And it gradually occurred to me that this seemed to be the novel's reason for being; a place-holder, to keep the "franchise" alive. The dragons; their dragonboys; Lagdalen; Lessis; Captain Kesepton; each character gets his or her turn on the stage, in the service of defeating an enemy who is constantly described as more powerful and deadly than any they have faced before, yet who is dispatched in a rather perfunctory manner.

If the book has a weakness, that's it: that at no time does Rowley really convince the reader that the heroes are in lasting danger, and even the most willing suspension of disbelief isn't enough to make us think that the bad guys might win. The novel has a very generic feel that is perfectly encapsulated in the title (which couldn't be less specific to this particular nook if it tried), and the action all takes place within spitting distance of the dragons' home base, with the most exotic locale being a country house that the villain has appropriated as his headquarters (a cobbled-together "civil war" serving as impetus for the fighting within the legion's home territory).

Though I haven't yet gotten around to the final volume, Dragon Ultimate, I get the impression that my enjoyment of it probably wouldn't be hampered much if I had skipped The Dragons of Argonath altogether. Mind you, I wouldn't dream of skipping it; and that, in truth, is the best comment I can make. I wouldn't think of missing a chance to listen to the dragons brag or their dragonboys bicker and fight; I only wish that their actions mattered more this time around.

if u want to read a seires that will u reading all night long just to see what happens next, then this is defiently it. the only sad part about this is that i just found out that there is a book after this one and i now have to go and find that book. well one word of advise for Rowley is write more books!

This is the best one yet.

as i have said the best series i have ever read. However, one of the things i look foward to reading about is the places they go see, and this, just wasnt very exciting. The story stayed very local, and that was a dissapointment, but again the action that was written, was excellent, as usual. i do hope that if you have read all the books thus far that you keep going, because the best is yet to come. and each book adds a little more to the story.

THE STORY GETS BETTER AND BETTER. HAVE NUMBER SEVEN IN THE SERIES AND I AM RE-READING THE WHOLE SAGA OVER AGAIN. YOU NEED TO READ THESE BOOKS, AND SOMEDAY SOMEONE SHOULD MAKE A MOVIE OUT OF THEM.

A exceptionally well written book dealing with the ever befuddling question of "where do we come from?" Or better yet, "What happens if..?". If you are a person that likes to think about such things, you will really enjoy this book. It is told in the context of a fantasy story, but the basic underlying concepts and ideas are there. A wonderfully spun story of dealing with self-discovery and with circumstances beyond control.

All seven of this wonderful series will keep you intrigued. Full of mystery, color and wonderfully sarcastic cats, the surprise ending with shock you. I never saw it coming and in a day where everything is so cut and dry, something as creative as this is a diamond in the rough. I was lucky enough to find all seven book at a half price book store and was shocked to now discover them out of print. These series should be on the shelves for ages to come.

My husband and i, always avid scifi readers, devoured all seven of these books in the early 1980's. At that time, these books .. this story .. were among the most satisfying i had ever read (that august catagory includes the likes of Tolkien's stuff, the Dune books, etc). We moved recently and in the process of readying ourselves for that upheaval, we went through the bookcases and tossed books we'll never open again (gasp! heresy! ). During that process, however, i came across these books and sank to the carpet, caught immediately. Now i'm fully immersed in this world again and lost in this great story.

I can't believe they're out of print. That's just wrong.

I picked up the first volume in a yard sale, and couldn't put it down. The entire series is amongst my most treasured titles, and I feel lucky to have found them all. PLEASE re-release these titles (preferably all in one hardcover) so others can enjoy!

These books depict a journey both physical and spiritual. The hero, Rikardon, and his partner Tarani make many discoveries about themselves and the world they inhabit. Many of the discoveries are a surprise and I won't give them away.

Suffice to say this series is very well written with well fleshed out characters (both human and non), a good historical background woven into the story, and a fast paced and detailed storyline which makes the book(s) hard to put down. They should not be out of print.

I remember this book from when I was in kindergarten and always being scared, but loving it all the way through. It was filled with all the creepy images and stories that I could ever want, and when Daddy would read it to me in the fall it just put me in the immediate Halloween spirit. Witches, monsters, magic, ghosts, and everything else that any little kid would want in a scary book fill these 32 pages.

This story deserves a 5 out of 5, for its nostalgia, ability to invoke a spooky feeling, and overall fantasy and storyline.

My sister and I used to read this book together all the time as kids. About 2 years ago we started to think about it again, but our copy was long gone by then. We have been trying for 2 years to remember the title, and have been searching online relentlesly. I can't believe it, but today I finally found it!!!!! I bought a copy from another site, and I can't wait until it comes. And the thing is, I have not seen my sister in almost 2 years, and she is coming in to visit tomorrow! Hopefully it will arrive while she is still here, so we can get together with our children and read it once again! I highly recommend this book. If you share it with your children I guarantee they will someday share it with THEIR children!

I read this book in Kindergarden and have never forgot it through all these years. I hope to own a copy soon. The only book I remember from back then.

I read this book when I was in elementary school. I am now 25 years old, and I still remember this book. Over the years, I have found myself thinking of this book now and then and wishing I had a copy of it in my possession.

This book was a special friend of mine. It was there for me on rainy days, sunny days and very sad days. I can recall once being very sad about something, and remembering that I had checked the book out from the school library (I often did), and I lay down on my bead and curled up with this book. I can remember my sadness vanishing instantly as I was pulled into the spooky, yet delightful magical world of Grandpa's Ghost Stories. The tears that first fell on the pages of the book were certainly the last ones of the day for me.

Because of this book, I have always LOVED rain storms and thunder and lightening storms, they actually make me feel cozy.

No other books in the world have ever had this kind of effect on me, with the possible exception of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark trilogy.

It is very tragic that this book is no longer in print, and I anxiously await the day that it is available again at a reasonable price.

I highly recommend this book to absolutely anyone, but especially to anyone who enjoys a good, spooky tale. This is a treasure. Do yourself a BIG favor and discover it for yourself and for your children.

I believe I speak for everyone on this list, when I say this book is one of the best, if not the best children's books of all time. For me, and many others (at least on this review board) this book was a life changing experience. I find my experience with the book is quite similar to most of the others on this page. I found the book in my elementary school library, and loved it. I checked it out every time I could get the chance, and read it over and over. I highly recommend this book, for all ages. The stories are wonderful, the illustrations are fantastic... A true classic!

I am learning German, so I thought buying a book that I have already read both in English and Spanish would be a nice experiment. I was very pleased with the translation and the fact that overly complicated words had apparently been avoided, keeping the book highly readable.
I do not think there is need to review the Harry Potter literature itself, I can just say I love this book in any language.

I just got a second copy for my sister to practice her German, too. Very enjoyable way to learn a second language.

A great book if you're learning German (like me) and want to try your hand at some pleasure reading. Most books in second hand shops that are printed in German (at least, the ones near me) only have books by authors that I've never heard of, or who are a dime-a-dozen. Maybe I'm biased because I've loved the Potter series from its beginning, but I would definitely recommend this book.

For those who have read the Harry Potter books and who are also interested in learning German this book is a great tool. I have found it easier to learn new words when I already know what the plot is.
Diese Buch macht sehr viel spass!

This book is a great way to improve your german language skills. I would strongly recommend it to any student of the german language... not to mention it is a great story!!!

Ich finde Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen absolut fantastisch!! Ich empfehle dieses Buch weil es sehr spannend ist. Das Buch kann dir auch mit der deutschen Sprache helfen.

este libro es muy bueno, como todos los de la serie, por supuesto. se lo recomiendo a los padres que quieren tener a sus hijos leyendo libros en lugar de estar pegados al nintendo wii!

English is my first language and as an adult I love reading the Harry Potter books. Because I'm learning Spanish, who better to practice on than Harry?! I purchased all 5 in the series available. The book arrived in excellent condition and very quickly. Quite pleased with my purchase experience.

I just LOVE this book, and all the harry potter books. I wanted to say to Eric J Justice, who wrote a review above, that your review was incorrect. It DIDNT have a mistake; saying QUE TE TENGO DICHO es right. In fact, im pretty sure what you said was right too. But anyway, anyone who hasn't read this should, but read the SORCERER'S STONE first, because it's really best to read them in order.

I'm a high school student taking Spanish as my foreign language. I decided one day to buy Harry Pooter y la Cámara Secreta to help with my Spanish. Though some of the words aren't what I'm use to I still understood it and it helped my Spanish greatly. Many of the higher level Spanish classes are reading this also. For students taking Spanish this is a great way to help with your Spanish. It puts your knowledge to use and it helps you to remember things better. They're just as great as the English version!

Aconsejo no prestar demasiada atención a las críticas que se quejan del vocabulario castizo en contraposición al vocabulario americano. No hay prácticamente nada que un lector castellanohablante educado no pueda entender, y el castellano utilizado en el libro es adecuado para la trama.
La traducción en sí, exceptuando algún resbalón con el subjuntivo, es gramaticalmente correcta. No conozco el original en inglés.

El argumento abunda en lo descriptivo, con un ritmo de la acción lento durante casi toda la obra, concentrando la mayor parte del desenlace en los últimos 3 o 4 capítulos. La sensación de desasosiego que algunas críticas mencionan en este sentido es leg?tima.

En general, la obra es medianamente entretenida y contribuye a adquirir vocabulario.

This is a gorgeous book. The pop-ups are intricate and there are lots of beautiful details. It encourages the reader to look closely to find things. It uses different fonts which is great for children learning to read and write cursive. Would definitely reccommend and buy again.

The book is all pop-ups that show how the fairies live and hide. My ten year old received this book for her birthday and it's the one gift she didn't want to put down to open up more presents.

This is a beautiful, but somewhat fragile1book -- probably more satisfying for girls than boys. Make sure thr recipient is old enough to handle it without tearing it.

This really is a fantastic book. What beautiful pictures and illustations. My daughter loved it.

I love pop-up books and have been a long-time Robert Sabuda fan. Well, after buying a couple of Cicely Mary Barker's fairy books, I think they are quite wonderful in their own right. In "How To Find Fairies", we have a beautiful pop-up book that allows us an 'intimate' look at fairies and their habitats. As the great video review posted by another reviewer shows, there are altogether 5 big spreads that show us the different habitats of fairies, such as the tree top fairies that are concealed amongst leaves, the forest floor fairies that hide in the hollow of old tree stumps, fairies that make their home in the garden hiding amongst colorful flowers,fairies that conceal themselves amongst the brush by the wayside, and finally fairies that live in the marshlands which also happen to be the abode of the royal couple, Kingcup and Queen of the Meadow.

The video review posted by another reviewer has illustrated the beauty of this book, but the beauty is not just visual. The text enhances the visuals as it gives basic yet useful information about fairies and their habitats. And of course, the last page contains a delightful surprise! Highly recommended for fairy lovers and pop-up enthusiasts of all ages!

Less than a month from the end of his centuries-long tenure as a guardian, Gawan of Conwyck finds a woman near the side of the road, but she's more dead than alive.

Ellie is his next assignment, but she can't remember what happened to her or who she is. She keeps disappearing as her corporeal body struggles to keep her among the living. Gawan knows it's his obligation to help her, but if he fails it will mess up his retirement plan and he won't get the mortality he so desires. Worse yet, he discovers that Ellie is his soul mate and if he succeeds in his task they won't remember each other. Together they need to unlock her memories to unravel the mystery of who she is and why she's mostly dead. What happened to her? Can they save her in time? And what about love?

Into Thin Air by Cindy Miles is a sweet, mostly light-hearted romance that will appeal to paranormal fans looking for something a little different from the usual vampires, demons and beasties. Spirits and angels take center stage and the ghostly supporting characters in Gawan's life provide comic relief and add a sense of family and home to this heartwarming love story. Gawan is a hero almost to die for (just ask Ellie) and Ellie is plucky, intelligent and likeable. Together they make for a tale that will leave readers feeling warm and content. The mystery has just enough twists and turns to keep readers engrossed until the very end.

Although this follows Miles' first book, Spirited Away, and there are some recurring characters, this can be read as a standalone.

4 Kisses, 1/2 Pepper

~Lindy
Reviewer, TwoLips Reviews, LLC
www.TwoLipsReviews.com

Gawan of Conwyck is an honest-to-goodness Guardian Angel. As an Earthbound Angel, he lives basically as a mortal, but with some perks: he can read minds, see ghosts, and influence people's actions (kind of like a Jedi). His responsibility: make sure any and all of his Charges are safe. The catch: neither he nor his charges remember each other when the saving is accomplished.

Ellie appear one day, in need of Gawan's help. She's mostly dead - nigh unto becoming a ghost herself, with her body lost and dying - and needs Gawan to find her body and keep her alive - all before his retirement in less than a month, upon which he becomes mortal and is no longer a Guardian Angel. In the course of Gawan helping Ellie, they fall hopelessly and deeply in love - which of course stands to reason, given that they are each others' Beloved Intended: they are Soul Mates.

This book was insanely cute! I was laughing the entire time, and completely rooting for Gawan and Ellie. I didn't know whether I wanted Gawan to save Ellie or not - should he keep his vow as an Angel and a knight, or selfishly stay with his Intended for eternity? In the end though, if all turns out right, as you know it will in a romance novel - that's why we read them, no?

Miles references characters and events from her first book, Spirited Away (Signet Eclipse), in this story, so it helps to have read it first - but it's by no means necessary!

I love this book, even more than the first one (Spirited Away). Its one of the most romantic books i have read in a long time (with exception to the previous book). Its purely fun, non-serious reading. Its not written the best, but its really hard to put down. If you like sweet, fun, romantic books, this is IT AS WELL!

Parental Advice: (not to give anything away at the end, but if you have a kid or teen reading this) the end of the book has a sex scene. It is practically the last paragraph of the book. The rest of the book is mostly just mushy, but you do get several comments like, "If only i could, I would take you right here." but nothing happens till the end. You can do what my mom does, she proof reads it, then tapes up the raunchy stuff- that way i can still enjoy it.

Unfortunately my mom didnt tell me there was a sex scene and forgot to tape it up. It only lasted one paragraph, so by the time i realized what i had read- it was too late. But, since i read it, i have to say that the book could have done with out it. It seemed too pushed- like it was a last minute add in. Plus it was really corny, but that didnt stop me from loving the book as a whole! i hope the first books sex scenes were better- but they were taped up! :)

Gawan and Ellie are really a lovely couple! There are few romantic characters so tender and protective as Gawan. Ellie is the perfect heroine, despite appearing fragile due to the main reason for this story... (please read the book...), she's at the same time courageous and funny!! Lovely reading, indeed!!

Another great read from Cindy Miles. Make sure to read the first book, "Spirited Away" because the characters from that book pop up in this one as well. I loved the characters, the humor & mystery. I stongly recommend this author!!

Inspite of age of interview, the resultant product is of the finest quality, and we have the privilege of listening to the voice of this legendary person.

Not quite what I expected. Tolkien reads a great many of the poems and verses that is in the Lord of the Rings and some excerpts from the book. One reason why not more of the book is not read as it was just being published when these recordings were being made. May be they wanted folks to read the book. This is also very good for those who like to explore the background of his imagination, the history of Middle Earth.

I am so glad these recordings were made by Tolkien, and that they were preserved and released. i had heard some of these on an old record i borrowed from a library once a few years back, and only recently was made aware that it finally came out on cd. Its really a brilliant and wonderful little collection. Tolkien's voice and his singing really incredible. A personal favorite is Sam's song of the Troll. Tolkien was a true genius.

Who better to read Tolkien than Tolkien?

What I find so delightful in this compilation is the variety of mood and tone that both J. R. R. and Christopher bring to Tolkien's work. J. R. R. has real fun with the poems and narratives (especially of Sam and Gollum). The riddle chapter from The Hobbitt is an absolute treasure. J. R. R.'s vocal characterization of Gollum is genuinely first rate; no actor could have done it better. And his reading of the charge of the Rohirrim to the aid of Gondor is fully heroic.

But J. R. R. is always rustic whereas Christopher is erudite. The contrast is remarkable and somehow effective. Christopher's reading from The Silmarillion gives a sense of the depth of history of the Elder Days. His Oxbridge accent (after all, he grew up in Oxford) is perfect for the great persons he gives voice to. And of course he knows his father's work better than any person alive.

If you've ever enjoyed *reading* Tolkien, you owe it to yourself to *hear* Tolkien. You will love it! (And your kids will love Gollum!)

I absolutely love this group of CDs! Hearing Tolkien himself reading exerpts from The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings make reading the stories themselves even more wonderful!
And when Christopher reads from The Silmarillion, it's just amazing, especially for someone who's been reading these stories since I was a little child.
I'd recommed these CDs to anyone who wanted ot listen to a true master of words.