People Books

Breath of the Dragon successfully pits ancient Thai cultural beliefs against more modern day outlooks with main character Malila in the middle. Through her grandmother, she learns to embrace and appreciate her heritage while Grandmother grows and learns as well. Perhaps the central lesson is that life, while not always easy, often works out for the best. Gile's weaving of Thai language, customs, clothing and festivals adds to the richness of the well paced story and while not tying everything in a neat package at the end, leaves the reader with hope none the less.

I used to live in Thailand and I was worried how true to the culture the book was going to be. Not to worry, this book is wonderful. I can't believe how good it is. I'm glad I bought it and will highly recommend it to my Peace Corps friends.

I was so touched by the beautiful language and touching portrait of Malila. Every child has experienced ostracism at some point and this is an excellent story how one child not only survives it, but flourishes. Keep a hanky handy! A fantastic story to read aloud!

By the time I was reading the final three chapters aloud to my class, there was not a dry eye amongst my charges.

I had my students write letters to Malila (the main character) and the depth of empathy revealed in this assignment pored its soul in their expression.

BREATH OF THE DRAGON is a beautiful book, subtle, its language spare and poetic. It is the story of Malila, a young Thai girl who comes to live with her grandmother after a family crisis. Malila's grandmother is a wonderful person, creating an atmosphere where the little girl's artistic talents can flourish and where she can feel safe and loved. Within this story Giles seamlessly interweaves fascinating information about the customs and culture of Thailand. I highly recommend this book and eagerly await more works by Gail Giles!

First off, I have to say this book is absolutely perfect for all first-time freelance graphic designers. My business partner and I recently started our own design agency at [...] and didn't have a clue about where to get our hands on the legal forms needed. We were referred to this book from another source. And since my partner's father-in-law is a lawyer, we decided to let him take a look at it to see what he thought. He said everything was solid. He couldn't find any holes on any of the forms inside. So after making a few small changes to custom fit our business, we were set. I can honestly say this book should be on the shelf of every aspiring freelance graphic designer. I highly recommend it.

I have only serious clients who are willing to pay me because I take a contract to our first meeting and make them sign it. These contracts will protect you and your clients! They are worded with the legal stuff but easy to understand. He even explains what it all means. It even has a CD so you can pop it in your computer right before your meeting (as I have done) and print a contract.

This book has EVERYTHING you need ... and then some. When you think you're not going to need one of the forms in this book, you later realize that YOU DO! As a freelance artist, using these forms made me feel as though clients noticed that they were dealing with a real professional. Absolutely a great investment.

In starting out and gathering information it's hard to determine what books will be helpful. This is great. It is filled with tear out forms you can make copies of and use over and over. Great information. And the CD-ROM includes all the forms in pdf format, as well as Pagemaker and Quark XPress so that you can make changes to fonts and style, logo additions, and more, to suit your own home business. Files are compatible with Mac and IBMC platform, which is great for me being a designer working mostly on an IBM computer. Excellent book!

Our small graphic design firm had been relying on the legal forms and contracts from this book for about one year. Finally, we decided that perhaps we ought to visit with a lawyer to make sure we were doing it right...$560.00 later for an initial consultation, we realized that this $29.95 book was the best business investment we'd ever made! The lawyer confirmed that the contracts that we had been using were airtight and were great (he had a few other pointers...but, none worth $560.00).

We have had many comments from our clients that over all the creative teams they'd worked with over the years, our design firm had surpassed them all in business professionalism. If you are serious about running a firm, or just want to protect yourself, you really can't go wrong with this book! Such a small investment for such a large return!

CHICKEN SUNDAY is another one of my favorite Polacco books. This is a fabulous and emotionally touching story of an interracial friendship and the children's journey of love and service. Young Patricia (who has written another great episode about her rich and colorful life) and her two best friends Stewart and Winston (who happen to be black) want to buy the boy's gramma (Eula Mae) a hat that she has wanted but could not afford to buy. Since the death of her beloved babushka, Eula Mae also serves as Patricia's surrogate grandmother. The children witness an act of racism on the hat shop owned by the Holocaust survivor Mr. Kodinski. They were going to ask Kodinski for a job to raise the money to buy Eula Mae her favorite hat. Mr. Kodinski sees the children and assumes that they are responsible for the act of violence. Ultimately, the children redeem themselves by making Pysanky eggs for Mr. Kodinski to sell in his store. He tells them the story of his life and then gives the trio the hat. Naturally Eula Mae is thrilled.

CHICKEN SUNDAY is named after the chicken dinner that Eula Mae feed the children every Sunday after Church. This is another multi-cultural book teaching children that it is okay to have friendships with people who are different. Incidentally, Patricia remains close to these boys to this very day. It also exposes children to different types of racism. This book has a wonderful lesson for children and adults.

Although they are innocent, some young children make ammends for the harm done to a Holocaust survivor (the old man has the unmistakable tatoo on his forearm). You must purchase the Scholastic book on cassette for an even more motivating storytime (complete with music).

Poignancy, humour, and detail are hallmarks of Polacco's books...and Chicken Sunday shines in all of these. Our girls (5 & 7)loved it so much that they asked for it to be read again as soon as we got to the end. All the telling things of a child's world, including being unfairly accused, secret hidey holes, and longing to show an adult how much they love them, are there. In addition there is a wonderful richness to the language, with images such as "a voice like deep thunder and slow rain".

Chicken Sunday is a touching story of friendship and family. Patrica Polacco writes of a childhood recollection. Patricia and two of her childhood friends set out to raise money to buy the beloved Miss Eula an Easter bonnet as a "thank you" for her wonderful Sunday chicken dinners. The three children need to deal with trying to prove their innocence to Mr. Kodinsky and Miss Eula after being wrongly accused of throwing eggs at Mr. Kodinsky's store. The children decide to make Pysanky eggs and hope Mr. Kodinsky will let the children sell the eggs at the hat store. The reader can definitely feel the love between Patricia, the boys and Miss Eula. The realistic drawings and colors are a great addition to this already enjoyable story. Readers of all ages will truly enjoy this book.

This book speaks volumes . . . especially how a life can be changed forever through a simple act of love and kindness. It seemed that Miss Eula was a beautiful person who just loved and cared for everyone around her by continually demonstrating the true principles of faith, hope, and love.

This book truly emphasizes those things that matter most: a faith in God, a loving family, and good friends.

Chicken Sunday was not only heart-warming and touching, but to me it clearly stated the importance of allowing that little "light" within our hearts to shine no matter what!

This book is an excellent educational tool, and can be easily used in various thematic units such as: family and friends.

I have always enjoyed Patricia Polacco books and will continue to read them to my loved ones and classes for many, many years to come!

Wouldn't is be nice if the person who automatically slams my reviews would grow up? All I did was criticise some common ignorant claims about the Maya that are made by some Mormons, but this person has no answer to what I am saying and can't handle it. How about leaving a comment with some mature criticism?

This is a great book. Perhaps some Mormons don't want people to know that Maya glyphs have been translated and say absolutely nothing about the claims and subjects of the Book of Mormon.

So, "helpful" votes are appreciated, and please remember that a short review that leads you to a great book can be a good review. Thanks.

If you ever wondered what the Maya writing on the monuments at Tikal, Palenque, Copan, Seibal, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and Iximche says, this is the book for you.

One stela at Copan is particularly interesting. Known as "Stela B," it depicts two huge macaws in the headdress of a Maya king. These macaws were mistakenly identified as "elepant heads" in a crackpot book written in the 1920s.

This identification was always refuted by the experts, and just looking at a drawing of Stela B, it is clear that the "elephant trunks" are actually the beaks of macaws (they have nostrils on the sides, which elephants lack and macaws have). Also, the area is full of the striking birds with their red and blue plumage.

The story might have died there had not the Mormons picked up the elephant-trunk claim and put it in the Book of Mormon in the 1960s and 1970s. A photo of Stela B was among the many examples of "evidence" for the Book of Mormon, which claims that the civilizations of ancient America had "elephants." Actually, there were only wild mammoths, and they were never associated with civilization anywhere in the world.

All the photos from the Book of Mormon were eventually deleted, including one of a "horse" (actually a damaged feathered serpent--a feather being its head).

Now that the glyphs on Stela B have been deciphered, we know that they speak of "macaw mountain" (page 162 in the present book) near Copan and a bird sanctuary today. Regrettably, the glyphs do not speak of "elephant mountain."

Schele and Mathew's masterful 418-page work is a must for anyone interested in the Maya and the many false claims made by Mormons. It doesn't even mention the Book of Mormon, an indication of that book's status in the real world of archaeology.

Highly recommended.

"The Code of Kings" suffers from too much seriousness. The structure of the book relies on interpreting some main architectural achievements of the Mayan kings who commissioned them. That is, for most chapters a brief historical narrative is followed by a detailed description of the monumental group of interest and ends with an interpretation as to its relevance. The interpretations are good, and we can appreciate the great scholarly gifts of Linda Schele (in particular when the authors dispose of the Toltec Maya myths of Chichen Itza). We can even be moved at times such as when the authors talk of the Great Plaza of Waxaklahun-Ubah-K'Awil (this reviewer was happy to have read it a few days before going to Copan). However, this dense package might scare away a more casual reader of the Maya history. It also makes this book pretty useless to take along in your trip to Guatemala and Yucatan, unless you will have plenty of time to sit down under some trees and read while you visit. But if you have plenty of time to prepare for your trip, you definitely need to read it. And of course, it is a must in any serious book collection on the Maya.

I have only had time to browse through and start this book I recently purchased, but if it will stop the flow of e-mail mails from amazon asking me to review it, I will review it anyway. It is one of Linda Schele's last collaborations and for that reason alone it would be interesting. The only thing I can say so far is that it seems to be an interesting book aimed at the educated amateur. Although the title would lead the unwary to think it was strictly a book on Maya epigraphy and although it does contain a lot of epigrapical and linguistic information, it is really a tour of several Maya sites with in depth explanations, floor plans, and charts, all by leading experts. Though I am not in good enough health to travel, still it looks like a very useful book to any Maya scholar amateur or otherwise. I am over the age of two (katuns)

What a magnificent book for any general reader, like me, who loves to read about the cultures of Mesoamerica. The authors take us on a tour of seven of the best known and most visited sites: Tikal, Palenque, Copan, Seibal, Chich'en Itza, Uxmal, and Iximche'. The book opens with a most helpful introduction to the archaeology of Mayan culture and the cultural elements that are common to all the city-states / regions that we call Mayan.

Look at page 21 at the photo from 1891 that shows us what the Temple of the Inscriptions looked like before excavation and restoration. Obviously, all the trees that are cleared in the picture would have hidden them even more, but the photo could not have been taken with them there. As you read through the lessons on Mayan architecture, housing, writing, religion, and warfare, the Maya become life and blood people who existed at a time and place that becomes nearer to us through this great book.

If you are planning to visit one or more of these sites, then this book is a must read as well as a field guide to take with you on the trip. The authors take key features and each site and explain them in detail. What a great experience it would be to stand in front of these monuments, murals, and temples with this most helpful text helping you understand what you are seeing.

The book is richly illustrated with many drawings of important inscriptions, buildings, monuments, and architectural details. There are also many black and white photographs, and a section of wonderful color plates to help us understand the beauty of the natural setting that provides the context for these cultures.

After the visits to the cities there are many helpful features that comprise another hundred pages of the book. First, a concordance of Maya personal names provides the spelling used in this book, alternative and common anglicized versions of that name, and a brief description of who that person was. There is also a key to pronunciation and orthography that I found to be most helpful. It is always intimidating to see words without having any idea how they would be said.

The notes section is full of very helpful information for those readers who want to dig a little deeper as is the list of references (really, a bibliography). The Glossary of Gods and Supernaturals is amazingly interesting and helpful and the index is a handy way to get back to certain topics in each section when you are trying to tie the cultural elements together across time and geography.

As I said at the beginning, this is a fantastic and wonderful achievement that I am very grateful for and it is a final example of why we miss Linda Schele so much. The other authors are also fine and will continue to bring us much, but Prof. Schele had a special eye for the aesthetic achievements of the Maya and the ability to help us see things her way and enriched all of us who are fortunate enough to read her words.

This is not just an archeological study of some of the most important sites of the Maya world, it is an inmersion into Maya philosophy and art. I found it exciting how the book relates stories about the conflicts and conquests between the city states and their kings. Some of the new theories into the Toltec migration to Maya land are also very interesting and refreshing to read. I don't think this is a beginner book, at times it digs deep into Maya symbology and thinking, this could make it hard to follow if you're not familiar with some Maya history. Overall, like all of Schele's work, this is an excellent book.

It is easy to forget the personal voice of violence, private and collective. It is even easier to distance oneself in dates, place names, and events. - this number of human cargo shipped to that port, the price that could be gotten for a "prime" young man, the political and societal arguments swirling around the economics and morality of the slave trade.

Day of Tears strips away all defenses and makes the listener or reader come face to face with the terrible loss of losing a beloved and becoming lost to loved ones. Parents were torn from their children. Husbands were wrenched from their wives. No photographs to hang in a place of honor and remembrance. No letters to cherish and serve as the voice of memory. Once the loved one, family member or not, was bought and began the journey to the new plantation, he or she was as good as dead, but worse - those left behind or carried off to a different place by a different owner knew that the loved one still lived, still struggled to survive.

Available as an audiobook, it is well worth the effort to track it down in this form. Although marketed to school-age audiences, it does not read as geared for that audience. Excellent for classroom use as an opening to a discussion on the realities of slavery. Characters are powerfully developed, presenting the variety of survival responses to an inhuman existence. Rather than simple caricatures of the different positions on slavery common at that time, even the accusation of being an "Uncle Tom" is no longer relevant. Highly recommended.

I read this book to understand what my daughter had been assigned to report on. And since I've read it, I am so excited to have discovered a truly gifted author who has many more books I can explore.

Normally, I don't like dark stories about slavery because of how difficult it is to experience the senseless cruelty of it. This story truly illustrated that cruelty. However, the dialog format allows you to get more absorbed in a "conversation" than just experiencing a painful piece of history.

Lester explains that he wrote the book to give voice to those "who did not have an opportunity to tell it for themselves." Because history only tells of this incredibly large slave auction and the details of the white slave owners and sellers, Lester fills in the details of the experiences of the slaves during this incredible event and after.

I loved how he allowed us to peak into the minds, emotions and motives of parties from all sides: the slave owners, the southern people absorbed in the slave culture, the slaves, both old and young, as well as those who disagreed with slavery and how they walked out their beliefs. And just when you were reading an account of a "villain" or a some other character whose views you disagree with, Lester would hit you with a profound, provocative statement that would transcends all social, economic, or others barriers and speak to any human condition, compelling you to take stock of where you really are on your own "road to independence."

This book is no easy read though it is a fast read. It confronts you with the consequences of institutionalized hatred, ignorance and greed. It also forces the reader to search his or her own heart to discover what part they play in their own contemporary environment of backwardness and to open one's eyes to the residual effects of this often "forgotten" institution of slavery.

This is NOT what I expected--I expected an actual story of slaves and their experiances but instead it is a book of a Play told in story form, where it gets confusing and frustrating trying to piece together who goes with whom. The author also leaves you hanging in the end--the final chapter starts out as if there is more then suddenly it ends and is over--nothing more. Many threads were left untied and hanging and those that weren't were short and not too sweet--very confusing but great on historical facts aside those which were also short not much to this book and certainly not worth buying--borrow it from the library instead.

The main character in the book called Day of Tears by Julius Lester is Emma. Emma is a young black woman, and she lives a life as a slave. Emma is faced with very many challenges. She is the nicest person in the book. In this story Emma is a slave for this man that has no name in the book except "master." Emma thinks he would NEVER sell her, so at the slave auction she told all the other slaves that they had nothing to worry about because he wouldn't do that to them. The master's daughter who is nine falls in love with the slaves and treats Emma like her mother. Master doesn't like that because his x-wife was a "slave lover" and he didn't want that for is daughter. Emma tries to run away with others but it doesn't work and they get caught. Master is very upset with Emma, and threatens to sell her. She can't believe her ears. I really like this book. Its non-fiction book and it's great. It was one of my favorite books. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Day Of Tears by Julius Lester is about slavery in the mid 1800s and how slaves felt about getting sold off at a slave auction. The book is also in dialogue. The characters in the book reminisce about their experiences with the slave trade, and what happened on the day of the auction, and also how they are feeling.

The book was very interesting. I think its good enough to read. It really shows how the slaves were feeling about having an owner, for example they didn't like getting sold off to mean owners.

I've nothing but rave reviews for Barbara Brackman's books - this one is another "keeper". The first hand accounts of the freed slaves are very interesting reading. There are excellent photographs throughout this book and the quilt patterns have me itching to cut up some fabric!

Great history of quilts during the Civil War and slavery. Very informative and interesting reading. Highly recommend.

This is a beautiful book of history on African-American quilt making and is chock full of photos, patterns, and basic American history as well. She pulls no punches, tells no lies or tales, and tells you what is an absolute FACT and what is questionable. If you are interested at all in the subject, you must have this book. It is way beyond the info in E.Burns Underground Railroad book. (Which is also a nice resource.)

A fascinating insight into a bygone era with the reliable details and research we have come to expect from B.Brackman. It is also a revelation of man's inhumanity towards man and the arrogance of white people towards anyone different. As a student of history I could have done without the quilt patterns though. When will publishers realise there is a market for historic facts without the frills? If I want quilt patterns I will buy a book devoted entirely to them, when I want history I would like to have it without the added patterns.

A fascinating book by Barbara Brackman on the history of slavery & quilts. She goes into depth on how slavery originated, emancipation & integration of slaves, or lack thereof. She didn't quite hit the mark disproving the link between escaping slaves & the role of the underground railroad quilt in sending directional messages, which was an area she briefly glossed over leaving the reader dissatisfied & still questioning the outcome.

The quilts portrayed were attractive but not as outstanding as the projects in her many other wonderful books.

As a book on the history of slavery, this text is excellent. In disproving fabrications between underground railroad quilts & escaping slaves, I feel it falls short. A worthwhile read, however.

The book arrived well within the promised delivery date. And the condition of the product surpassed the description given. Great quality and service. I'll not hesitate to use the service again. Thanks!

This book is like a workbook to the 1st Fools Crow book. It has changed my life and assisted on the spiritual path that I am walking. I am sure it will help anyone who reads it with an open spirit, heart, and mind.

For those who have read Fools Crow by Thomas E Mails should follow up with this book. If you have not read it I would sertainly do so as a companian to this book. Timeless Wisdom from the Old Lakota Holy Man that anyone can bennefit from the power of these teachings.

For a person interested in American Indian Medicine People, this Book, and it's companion book - Fools Crow, ISBN 0-8032-8174-9, will
read as a Treasure of insight, clarity, simplicity & wonder. This reviewer has been reading books on this subject for more than 40 years, and these 2 books are true Treasures of this world view. Fools Crow is magnificant.

Fools Crow Wisdom and Power is interesting in that the memoir is an account of a Sioux "holy" man. Yet, Fools Crow's holiness is not consistent. He has some good ideas about general spirituality but this is more of a plea for the Native American movement.
I read it for a graduate class in religion but was disappointed.

May Sarton is an insightful writer in all of her books. Although I am not a cat lover, I read the book first before deciding whether or not my cat-lover reader friends would enjoy this book. I know they will. The hardcover edition is especially nice for a gift. The illustrations in the book are a treasure as well.

May Sarton, poet and journal-writer extraorindaire, wrote a novella/poem to the Cat, the Gentleman Cat, called "The Fur Person". I have reread this masterpiece every year for the past 25 years. "The Fur Person" is for children and adults, for everyone!

This is a good book both children and adults. Couldn't wait to read the next chapter.

This book was given to me as a gift and after reading it I promptly bought 4 from Amazon to give as gifts for the holidays. The author has truly captured her cat's essence. It's beautifuly written and tells just how much love a cat needs and gives. I highly recommend this book.

This is such a wonderful book. It is short and easy to read, but so well written, by the late poet May Sarton. It is the story of her cat, Tom Jones. When the fur person decided it was time to settle down and find a home, he found Ms. Sarton and her partner, and became a precious part of their family. This book makes a very great gift for any cat lover. Unbelievably, it has been out of print from time to time. Thank goodness it is available both in paperback and a gift edition now.

While George Washington fought the revolutionary war, he fought another battle with his teeth. Told in rhyming text, this story is based on the true story of George Washington's ill fortune with his teeth. It also includes some snippets of well-known moments of America's fight for independence, giving a whole new meaning to the oral historical tradition.

This is a fun and humorous read aloud that teaches a bit-though there isn't really enough history to do much more than familiarize readers with events of the revolution. There is a detailed time line at the conclusion of the book that lines up the true events of poor Washington's dental problems with related national events and also includes photos. Read-aloud cadence purists will stumble over a few lines that don't read smoothly, but overall the text is an enjoyable read.

The illustrations are lovely and colorful with easily recognizable characters and events. The expressions on George Washington's face are priceless.

Armchair Interviews: This fun and educational read is recommended for the younger set.

Assuming that this is not just another perpetuation of myth (e.g., chopping down the cherry tree), this book is a fascinating history of George Washington and the reason for his famously false teeth. Turns out, the poor man struggled with bad teeth for his adult life, and was constantly struggling with the pain, embarrassment, and illness they caused (my understanding is that he died from a mouth related infection - but consult your own Washington adviser on that one). This is a children's book, written in rhyme with fantastic and whimsical watercolor illustrations. But parents and other adults should love this and benefit from the history lesson. An afterword is included with information on the topic of Washington and his teeth, and photographs of his false teeth are included too. The book really humanizes the man - one can imagine meeting him, and finding him either pleased and proud with a new set of successfully fitted chompers, or disgusted with this lifelong burden. Great book.

He's a hero with a hardly heroic problem...his teeth are falling out! My boy and I enjoy this story of the man behind the Legend, struggling with his teeth as he struggles with the English. Comical pictures make the tooth loss tragic yet not uncomfortably squeamish for the grown-ups in the room. The timeline at the end of the story provides excellent details for continued conversations about George Washington and his teeth for the curious. Recommended!

I was surprised at how well put done this book is, especially compared to some of the children's American History out there, like Lynne Cheney's books. Unfortunately, I must give it four stars since the authors neglect to tell us where the "eight human teeth held in place with gold screw rivets" in George Washington's dentures came from. Or should I say, from WHOM they came?

I'll give you a hint. Take a look at the man who is serving at table "when guests came to dine." He's also on the cover holding what appears to be a spittoon.

This book is a wonderful addition to any collection of books! It rhymes and makes history fun for kids. The pictures are wonderful and work very well with the text. I have read this to several elementary classes, and all of the students have really enjoyed it. In the back of the book there is a time line of actual historical facts about George Washington's teeth. I would recommend this book to anyone!

I would recommend Kristin's Spa Girls books to anyone into chic-lit...there's friendship, faith, and fun all rolled into one series! Each of the three books has twists and turns that are unexpected. A fun read!

In A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND, Kristin Billerbeck continues the spa escapades and relationship foibles of three friends whom readers met in SHE'S ALL THAT. It's a Chick Lit plot all the way, as they try to make sense of life, love and vocation. When the going gets tough, these gals head for a good manicure and facial.

In book one, Billerbeck followed Lilly Jacobs, Poppy Clayton and Morgan Malliard's friendship through the eyes of Lilly, a fashion designer whose romantic life had gone to pieces and who was at a dead end at her job. In book two, Billerbeck shifts the focus to Morgan, the poor little rich girl who has everything money can buy but longs for love and her father's attention.

Morgan is despondent after an escapade with a man who claimed he was a Christian rock star. He swept her away from a fashion show where she was modeling Lilly's couture wedding gown and her daddy's diamonds, and he seemed to be the Prince Charming of her dreams. But like most Prince Charmings, he seemed too good to be true --- and he was. The paparazzi are having a field day with the story of the "Jilted Jewelry Heiress" and Morgan is ready to lay low for a while.

"You know, if it was Johnny Depp I was accused of adultery with, well, so be it, gossip away," Morgan tells her two best friends angrily. "But a guy without a job, who was living off his wife in Daly City while I thought he was off in Nashville making his way as a Christian artist? Now that's just humiliating."

With her father's money, Morgan can lay low in style. She has the 600-thread Egyptian cotton sheets, unlimited Visa card, a BMW, and pair after pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. But her father's money may be in jeopardy --- and a new wicked stepmother waits in the wings. Then, Morgan is implicated in legal troubles. Should Morgan leave home and try to make it on her own? And what talents does she have besides wearing big expensive diamonds and looking beautiful?

When the three girls get in over their heads, they head for...you guessed it right. "Man, I need a spa treatment," Morgan intones. "Not just a measly pedicure or a pink-and-white nail fill. I need the full treatment; an enzyme peel, a moisturizing facial, a cucumber mask for my puffy eyes, a hot-stone massage, and maybe even a diamond treatment."

Meanwhile, Morgan and Poppy wonder why Lilly is putting off tying the knot with her own special guy, hotel dynasty heir Max Schwartz. Lilly has a few secrets of her own, and her beloved irascible Nana isn't going to be happy when she finds out what Lilly isn't telling. Poppy, a chiropractor, lends some engaging quirkiness to the storyline, with her oddball mixture of natural healing remedies, Zen-like statements and Christianese: "Self-esteem comes from the Lord, not other people. Why should we care what others think?" She mixes self-help and pop spirituality as easily as she wears her gauzy skirts.

Although Morgan isn't as interesting a character as Lilly, fans of the first book will enjoy catching up on the lives of the three women. It's a good bet that Poppy will be the focus of the next installment, and as the most colorful character of the trio, her story may be the most promising of all.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

A great series by a fine author! This book was a gift, and I had serious reservations about reading it (I wasn't planning to read it!). It sounded like chick fluff, but I read it anyway. IT WAS FABULOUS!!! Ms. Billerbeck has a way of pulling you into the story...you just have to read what the characters say and do next! After I finished this book, I bought four others (two from the Spa Girls series and an Ashley Shockingdale novel). Keep 'em coming, Kristin!!!!

A Girl's Best Friend was everything I thought it would be. In fact, I liked it even more than She's All That, probably because Morgan is a fellow blonde. The author did an amazing job making me feel a part of Morgan's life, and helping me empathize with her despite the fact that she's lived a life of privilege. There were some very touching scenes as well as some eye-openers for Morgan. Poor girl really was protected from the "real world" to the point that it was almost harmful for her to function in society without that protection of the almighty dollar. I love how she "found" herself and discovered that she didn't have to repeat history and become what her parents were. I loved how her dad stayed a jerk because in reality many people have parents whose love is conditional and that's a very sad thing. I loved it that Morgan became stronger, and in the end she knew what she wanted, and it wasn't riches. Her heart didn't have to be as hard as a diamond because she could chose to love and give of herself to show that love. Truly a remarkable and very believable transformation, thanks to the loving input and truth-speaking of her Spa Girl friends, who tell it like it is. I am anticipating a bang-up story of Poppy's self-discovery and something tells me that story will top them all. It's how Billerbeck does things. She builds your relationship and love for the characters, and makes each new story that much better. Just when you think you've discovered your favorite chick lit story, she hits you with an even better one. Amazing! Oh, and her attraction to the man with the six pack abs and the anticipation of his kisses made me smile. Morgan had private thoughts about the man's abs like I think about fine chocolate. Now that's a great story!

I enjoy reading chick-lit, but I shied away from it for a while because they all began to sound alike. When I heard of Christian chick-lit, I thought it would be an interesting genre to read. I love Christian novels, but most of the ones I've read are historical sagas, and I had no idea what to expect from Kristin Billerbeck's A Girl's Best Friend. This is a fun and entertaining novel with a compelling storyline and a lovely message to boot. Morgan Malliard is a young socialite from San Francisco who seems to have it all -- money, good looks, an envious wardrobe and unlimited dough. But there is more to her than that. She loves God and her two best friends, Lilly and Poppy, whom she meets at their favorite spa, calling themselves the Spa Girls. She also dreams of meeting the perfect man, that one perfect fish in the sea. Things, however, aren't as great as they seem. Morgan has no direction in life. Even though she attended Stanford University, she doesn't know what she wants in life, and settles for the comfort her father's money brings. Then she discovers that her fiancé, a self-proclaimed Christian rock star, is already married. Could things get any worse? When her father, an imperious jeweler, is accused of tax evasion, dragging his daughter along with him, Morgan is forced to reflect on her life and makes some big changes. Will God and her lawyer, the gorgeous George Gentry, help her along the way?

I enjoyed Billerbeck's sassy language and keen storytelling. I also like the chick-litty feel mixed with spirituality. This novel has satisfied me in supplying me with a fun, girly read and uplifting me in a spiritual level at the same time. What could be better than that? I enjoyed the opening paragraph, which goes: "There are plenty of fish in the sea. But really, there's not. It's not just our imaginations. It would be great if decent men were as plentiful as jumping salmon in a rushing river, but they aren't. For every Mr. Darcy (and he's married, incidentally) there are a hundred Mr. Wickhams. Or in more contemporary terms, for every one of Colin Firth, there are several thousand Hugh Grants. The odds are against us." I was sold from the moment I read the aforementioned opener. The best part about this novel is that, unlike many Christian novels I've read, it is not swamped with judgment or sanctimonious passages. Those novels, as well as many religions/churches and believers, give Christianity a bad name. To me, God is about love and giving and teaching and freedom. He is not bitterness and restriction and judgment. This is the second part of the Spa Girls series. Lilly's story is the first one. Having read this, I will read Poppy's story next. I will also read other books by this author. This is a genre I will follow closely in the future.