Gemstar Books

Over the past fifteen years, M. Shayne Bell has gained a reputation as one of the contemporary masters of literary science fiction. Stories like "Mrs. Lincoln's China," "The Thing About Benny," and "Homeless, With Aliens" have become bywords among a certain type of speculative fiction reader - the kind of reader who knows that any month in which M. Shayne Bell's name appears on the cover of Asimov's, F&SF, or any of the other big SF mags is a month in which we have great reading to look forward to.
Alas, though Mr. Bell has garnered critical acclaim and numerous nominations and awards for his work, he remains one of those writers whose stature among fellow writers outstrips his name recognition among readers at large. I (along with a lot of other professionals in the field) hope that this collection will help change that.

HOW WE PLAY THE GAME IN SALT LAKE is a jewel of a short story collection. Bell's style is unfailingly spare, elegant and understated. His subjects range from paleontology and genetic engineering to AIDS, the global economy and domestic violence. His characters cover a vast territory stretching from Africa and Siberia, to the slums and condos and paleontology digs of the American West. And, as always, Bell's work is subtle, thoughtful, and extraordinarily big-hearted.

These are stories to be savored again and again, and this collection is a wonderful summing up of the career to date of one of today's major sf writers.

I must admit that I like to use self-assessment tools to find out what I am taking for granted, and ignoring. Complacency is a terrible foe! I found the exercises in this book to be the best that I have ever used. If you have read a lot of self-help books, you can skip right through to the exercises.

If you haven't read many personal self-help books, be sure to read his ideas first before doing the exercises. Basically, Dr. McGraw is pointing out that we become victims when we stop making conscious choices. He helps us surface those areas where we are operating on automatic pilot, and helps us to take the controls again, consciously.

I think that this book is one that everyone would benefit from, who wants to improve their own situation. If you feel particularly weighted down by failure in your own eyes, I also suggest you read Failing Forward. My review of that book will tell you how to find self-assessment exercises for that book, as well.

If you want to improve how other people perform, however, that is beyond the scope of this book. You'll have to look elsewhere. If you have read nothing on the subject, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The One Minute Manager will be good starting points.

I found Dr. McGraw's beliefs to match my own very closely, which is why I liked the book so much -- even the parts that paralleled things I knew already. If you skip the exercises, though, you will have made a serious error. That's probably 98% of the benefit of this book.

I first read the book last spring, and keep the results of the exercises in a place where I can review them daily to help me stay focused on the changes I need to make.

this is a very helpful book by a very knowledgable and realistic author. if you have been searching for answers and methods to deal with chronic pain, look no further as this book can provide them.

I loved this book. Holly Lisle is a great writer with a gift for putting in enough detail to follow and picture but not enough to get you bored. I couldn't put down this book, I was always witing to see what happened to Ry and Kait next. The twist of Ian's betrayal also threw me off guard. A great read!

WITH FLAME AND SWORD is a masterful blend of history, romance,
and adventure that will appeal to a wide readership. It's
always a pleasure to read a Bebe Faas Rice novel.

This is the first book I have read from Ms. Letts. I think she has a unique style of writing. Her characters are believable. I enjoyed the book thoroughly and could not put it down. I kept wanting to know what was next. I was only disappointed with the end. I always want to know more. It left me hanging.

I caught the movie one afternoon and really got into it so it made the book even more enjoyable because the book actually explained a few things from the movie with more detail. The character that Ashley Judd portrayed was really the only one that did not fit the look of the person in the book but all the personalities came alive. Great read about a young girl destined for failure only to rise above the ashes of despair. Too many people prefer to stay down and she inspires us all to achieve.

Truthfully, I don't even recall how I got this novel in my possession. I'm an avid fantasy reader so one of my friends must have loaned it to me or LEFT it in my library perhaps. Either way, reading this novel was perhaps one of the best things I could have done.

Novalee Nation is a woman you cannot help but love. As a naive pregnant 17 year old, she initially finds herself stranded (left by her A-hole boyfriend) at Walmart with hardly any money except $7.77.

What I enjoyed the most about this novel is how there are NO traditional families in a very "traditional" southern state. Novalee is a single mom raising Americus, Lexie has a series of babies with different men, and yet all of them fit together perfectly together. It is so fascinating to see all the people interacting with Novalee; despite her commenting on how uneducated she is she proves herself over and over again as a survivor.

One of the best scenes in the novel is when she is honored for her photography. I felt so proud of her accepting her award and cementing her career as a photographer.

This is one of my favorite movies. I usually make a point of reading a book and then watching the movie but I happened to watch the movie several years ago and just recently read the book. It of course went more in-depth with the characters (or else it would be a 5 hour movie!) and brought them even more to life. It really is an excellent story of strength, determination and love.

This book truly touched me. As soon as I finished reading it I wanted to read it all over again. Novalee Nation reminds me of a young gurl I once knew.......

As a personal fitness trainer I have seen how diet and exercise works
in preventing the reacurrence of back pain. Recently however, I saw a close family member in the midst of excrutiating back pain. We both felt helpless, and confused. Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection
Dr. Sarno's book really helped!
Richard Walters, MA. in Ed.
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Author The 16 Minute Body Sculpting Kit: Attain Your Dream Body in Just 16 Minutes a Day!

I stumbled on Dr. Sarno's book while I was searching for cure to my pain. I have had neck, leg and back pain for 6 months and it gets worse everyday. I tried everything I can find, nothing worked. Even pain killer didn't work. MRI shows L5 disc pressed the nerve, disc degeration... I was convinced that I will be bed ridden when I am in my 60s.
After I read the review here, I bought the book and read it as soon as I got it. The pain went away in a day!!! I shared this with my mother in law who is considering back surgery. She was in doubt. That alone will make her recovery long and slow. I strongly recommend this book.

This particular Dr. Sarno book has been extremely helpful to several of my acquaintances and myself in over-coming physical pain such as backaches, sciatica,headaches, arthritis, and more. If you follow Sarno's thoughts, and are able to be objective and self-analyze, you may find that many pain issues can be helped and conquered with TMS. It's worth the read.

This review will be quite short because so many folks have echoed my own experiences with Dr. Sarno's work... I just want to add my voice and enthusiasm about this book. I could not possible praise it's simplicity and effectiveness enough. If you are reading this, just buy the book - it's so very cheap and please, please believe me, it is worth your time.

This review is long overdue, but after recovering from 10 years of back pain, I've been having too much fun to write in (dancing, scuba, travel, bicycling, swimming). I've read a lot of books, but this by far is the most important. If you have any kind of chronic health problems, this is your best chance of recovery.It's no exaggeration when I say that Dr. Sarno saved my life with his groundbreaking theory.

I suffered with 10 years of chronic pain, muscle spasm, tingling in my neck, upper back and arms. I tried many treatments, both traditional and alternative. Cervical traction, chiropractic, massage, myotherapy, trigger point release, physical therapy, cervical collar, medications, acupuncture, homeopathy. I even had surgery on one of my shoulders for a supposed shoulder impingement. Some of the treatments gave short term relief only. The surgery did nothing to help. I spent years searching for an answer, and thousands of dollars out of pocket. I had testing and the diagnoses I received were bulging discs and degenerative disc disease (sound scary dont they?). I was offered no hope of a cure. I was 40 at the time, yet physically felt like I was 90 due to the pain. I had no hope for my future because if I had a degenerative process, it would only get worse. My pain went from a low level annoyance to becoming debilitating.I had pain every day, all day I struggled to care for my children and home. I felt like a failure as a mother and wife, and became depressed about my situation.

Then I found an answer, in the form of Dr. Sarno's Healing Back Pain book. Being a medical professional, I was skeptical as I began to read the claims of relief without surgery, PT, or specific treatments. I decided, I had nothing to lose by reading the book except a couple of hours of my time.

I found myself on every page of his book. I felt he knew me despite never having met me. He was telling my story. I literally wept as I read the book and found a glimmer of hope. I began to improve slowly and continued to read and re-read, began a gradual return to activites, as well as starting to journal about emotional issues and feelings. As I applied his theory to my life, I continued to improve both physically and emotionally. Amazingly, I'm still doing great 8 years later.

I don't want to mislead anyone. I did not have an instantaneous resolution of my symptoms (although I now know people who have). It has been a process of healing and self discovery for me, but well worth it. I have had occasional episodes of some discomfort over the years (during stressful times) but now I know how to address it and can make it go away pretty easily. The most important thing is that it has never been as bad as it was at it's worst, and most of the time I have no pain at all. I no longer have fear and I know that I am healthy and strong. I have no limitations in what I can do. I have proven that to myself over and over again in the past 8 years since recovering using Dr. Sarno's information. Probably the most physical things I have been able to do is that I painted an entire house, took a dance class, learned scuba and just last year I rode a bicycle 110 miles in a day (having trained for it in only 3 weeks).

I realize these claims may seem hard to believe. Had I not experienced it personally, I'm not sure how I would feel about it. But I'm here to say that my life has been forever changed and enriched by learning about this incredible mind-body connection. If you are looking for someone else to fix you, then this is probably not the book for you. But if you're tired of being in pain, have an open mind, and are willing to do the work, then this information can change your life. I wish you health and peace.

I would like to share a Galileo quote which speaks to me regarding Dr. Sarno's work: "In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual."
Words can not express my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you Dr. John Sarno!

If you love archaeology and the wild west do yourself a favor and read this book. Packed to the brim with suspense and excitement I'd say this book falls in the top 3 of best novels by P&C.

and i'm really glad i finally got around to reading it!
what a ride! i really enjoyed thunderhead!
it's a smart, chilling, scary, and thoughtful story, with a dash of humor tossed it!
highy recommended!

happy reading!

I was searching for good, new (to me) authors, when I realized I had read all of James Rollins' books and was waiting for my "to be sent when published in paperback" copy of Rollins' The Judas Strain. I read the reviews on Amazon and decided Preston and Child offered potential to interest me. I was right in sampling one of their books. Thunderhead interested me because it was about archeology and the Southwest. I was not disappointed in the storyline or the protagonist. Some of the situations were a bit extreme and required acceptance of "literary leeway" for the authors, but the story moved fairly well and introduced interesting characters you could care about--or not.
It's a good summer read, and I will certainly purchase more books by them--both as co-authors and individually.

This is an easy read with adequate background information to give you some insight to the mysteries of the Anasazi. Personal conflicts mixed with modern day Indiana Jonesish thrills make for a compelling read. 4.5 stars out of 5.

This was my first Preston Childs book, but definitely not my last. I simply couldn't put it down until it was finished, and that doesn't happen much anymore, believe me.

The descriptions of the Anasazi dwellings and speculations on their culture, along with the desert environment and it's perils, kept me hooked. The characterizations were less believable and formulaic - the pompous scientist, the "salt of the earth" cowboy, the arrogant journalist, the plucky heroine - but this was all forgivable, given the power of the narrative. You were could feel the dust of the desert and terrified making your way with them through that slot canyon. I was riveted as they approached the lost city of Quivera, and when it was finally revealed - it was spellbinding.

From time to time the unlikely scenario of throwing together such a disparate crew, some of which were totally unprepared, on such an important archaeological expedition was irksome. Still, even that was acceptable, given the power of the storytelling What made me more uncomfortable however, was the gruesome deaths of all of the expedition's horses, along with Nora Kelly's indifference to the disappearance of her dog, later found mutilated. Throughout the book, this detail made me like her less.

That said, I highly recommend the book for it's archaeological detail and the sheer power of the story telling. It's a thriller in the true sense of the word.

After reading The Relic and Brimstone (both books by Preston and Child and with the fictionilized character Pendergast) I decided to read something different. Believe me, this is probably one of the best books I have ever read. A true adventure. You will not be able to put it down until you have finished reading.

I've always been a fan of Preston and Child. This book is no exception. The best "water based" thrillers I've ever read. Charcter development is unsurpassed. Four months after reading this I still vividly remember the characters and thier lives. The creepy island is extremely interesting and the twist at the end is great. With that said, its not their best novel but probably top five.

I have read Preston and Child books since discovering them last year. All the books are great and thrilling. I was a little concerned because many of the ones I'd happened to read all involved monsters that emitted strange scents. I'd begun to wonder if the duo was stuck in a rut. Well, I didn't have to worry, because Riptide is a whole different ballgame, yet equally as thrilling. The reader is hooked into the storyline on the first page, because yes, of course we all want to know what happens to Malin's brother. And yet, we are not bored with the convoluted way the author takes us to that answer. Kudos to Preston and Child for producing yet another excellent thriller.

This was the first Preston/Child book I had ever read, and if this book doesn't hook you on their work, nothing else will! This book blends science, pirate lore, and history seamlessly as we follow the adventure of a man desperate to confront his past, and a greedy company bent on recovering an ancient treasure.

Using their uncanny understanding of science and history, Preston/Child spin a fabulous tale that keeps the reader hooked until the very last page. This is a must read for anyone who loves scientific, historical thrillers or is just a fan of Preston/Child.

Timothy Lassiter, author of Three Degrees of Separation and The Devil You Know.

What a clever writing team...Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I have never read a book by them that I didn't like immensely. Riptide is no exception. It's full of thrills and suspense. Move over Michael Crichton!
The plot involves an island that has a Water Pit that was commissioned by a Renaissance era pirate and designed by a captured Renaissance architect. There is a huge pirate treasure buried at the bottom of the Water Pit, but all who have attempted to retrieve it over the centuries have given up, died, and/or went bankrupt. Will this new venture be any more successful? You won't want to put this book down until you've finished it.

Another night spent with Harry into the wee hours. The author just keeps the suspense growing and twists twistier. I wasn't prepared to like this novel as much as the others. An attorney who lives to sue the LAPD -- and picks the race card out of every deck he's dealt -- and all the politicos covering their collective butts -- no thanks. But this was REALLY a good read. Of course, as usual, the FBI and IAD hassle Harry at every turn and he always has somebody trying to bring him down. That part gets older with each new book. But you gotta love Harry -- he just keeps fighting. Does it bother anyone else that Harry carries a briefcase? It just doesn't ring true to his character. I'm seeing Dirty Harry one minute and then Poindexter the Geek the next. Do homicide dectectives carry briefcases? All the more reason Harry would not.

Angels Flight was written near the ebb of LAPD's reputation: OJ Simpson had skated after the police investigation proved to be corrupt in most peoples' minds and Rodney King had been beaten, enraging those who feared and despised LAPD. Angels Flight is an attempt to re-create that era and give a sense of the pressures on those who were trying to do their duty while public relations and political concerns ran amok. The cross-currents of those disparate interests suck Harry Bosch into a cesspool of duplicity from which he'll be likely to escape.

In Trunk Music, Harry had married . . . perhaps not wisely. As Angels Flight opens, she's gone . . . and Harry can't seem to get her back: The lure of the casinos is calling its siren sound.

Harry has the weekend off: His team in Hollywood isn't on call. He's surprised when the top brass call him out in the middle of the night on a murder that occurs on the incline railway in downtown LA: That's Robbery Homicide territory. He's even more surprised when the murder scene has already been combed over and Internal Affairs desk types are everywhere. There are two deceased: One is a civil rights lawyer who makes his living suing cops . . . and who is about to lower the boom on the Robbery Homicide crew. Harry quickly appreciates that having two partners who are African Americans is part of why he's "leading" the case.

Despite lots of pressure to pin the case on someone, anyone, Harry continues to investigate. What he learns suggests even darker secrets than appeared on the surface.

Will he be able to outfox those who want a sacrificial lamb? How will his marriage take the strain? Can he keep his job? Will the city sleep quietly?

The plot is a demanding one that helps reveal a lot about the police and Harry's perspective: Michael Connelly paints a broad landscape of human depravity that will stay with you. You'll probably become well engaged in the story, even if the situation seems forced to you in the beginning.

I think you will enjoy this book a lot more if you have already read the prior books in the Harry Bosch series. Give yourself a treat and go back if you haven't read them already.

This book took me a long time to get into, but once I did, it seemed to hum right along. The only problem I found was with the personal problems the main character was having. They seemed to be a bleed over from another book, perhaps? You weren't really getting enough of the story for it to be part of this story, so it was annoying and distracting (I understand that the main character has to be somewhat distracted by personal problems, but for goodness sakes, explain them well enough that we understand!). Also, at the end, there was a line that, to me, indicated that the story was not so "wrapped up" as the author would have you believe. I think there was more to it.... Not in a sequel sort of way, but in a "well, there could be more but we're leaving it to your imagination" sort of way.

The Margin
I took a short hietus from Connelly's mysteries in favor of Stuart Woods. I like Woods and plan on reading all his work, but recently completed Michael Connelly's Angel's Flight and had to write this review.
AF is another well researched police procedural. Mix Harry Bosch, and his down to earth crime fighting perspective, as well as authentic social events of the decade and you have the makings for a thought provoking, complicated mystery chuck full of the dark places we readers like to go.
Howard Elias is a successful LA attorney who made a name for himself filing and winning law suits against the beleaguered police department, mostly for excessive force during arrests of suspected criminals that happened to be black, Elias himself an African American.
Bosch is tapped to investigate this potentially volitile crime, although the murder didn't occur in his district. Why? Because his boss knows the cops are prime suspects and Harry's relationship with the rank and file is different, sort of a love/hate relationship. He didn't have many friends on the force, only a partner or two, and he didn't have many enemies either, but he did have almost everyones respect. A claim IAD couldn't make. This investigation had to be done right, no room for error. Bosch gathers his team and they begin the arduous hunt for the killer.
Don't start this novel at bed time, you might end up late for work.
Marvin Wiebener, author of The Margin, a mystery.

Bosch was in a very bad place when he received the call-out. He was anxiously waiting for his wife, or at least a call from her - she had disappeared again. She was going back to the gambling and going away from him and he didn't know what to do to help her, to bring her back. Then he gets the call. It wasn't his team's turn in rotation - in fact, where he was told to go wasn't even within their jurisdiction - Angel's Flight, a short train hop up and down a steep hill, was within the RHD purview. However, it was Irvin Irving on the phone and he brooked no arguments, nor questions - he merely said to come and to bring Harry's partners.

The crime would tear the flimsy bandages L.A. had put on over the gaping wounds left by the Rodney King beating, by the O.J. Simpson trial - it would tear those flimsy bandages right off. Howard Elias - the victim - made his living by continually picking at those bandages - by suing the L.A.P.D. whenever he could, by keeping the race card constantly on the table and continually stirring the cauldron of racial strife - all so he could make enough money to keep his opulent lifestyle. It was pretty much assumed from the beginning that there was a high chance someone associated with law enforcement in L.A. had done this; however, all stones were to be kicked over. While investigating the murder, Bosch discovered that Elias had a source within the L.A.P.D. - someone highly placed who could get sensitive information to Elias - information that was not supposed to be provided, information that was supposed to be kept confidential. He also discovered that this source had, right before the killing, suddenly decided to stop providing information.

Filled with the blood of the innocent - and not-so-innocent - this book was dark and disturbing to read. And I really, really enjoyed it. This sort of story is why Connelly has been such a success over the years; he can write some great noir fiction. If you are a fan of noir, Bosch, or Connelly, be sure not to miss this installment of the series.