Fantasy Books

This is without doubt the best of all Star Trek stories, both in film and in print. It touches on many grand philosophical, scientific, and technological themes: machine intelligence (both in Commander Data and in the Borg), space-time engineering (the first time humanity has done this, via the efforts of Zefram Cochrane), the first contact from an alien civilization (the arrival of the Vulcans), the confrontation with true history (meeting Cochrane and finding out just who the man really was), and the ethics of highly advanced civilizations (the contrast between the Borg and humanity). This book and the film will without a doubt inspire many a young reader to take up the practice of science, and thus it will do the best job of all. Science fiction has the habit of coming true sometimes, but it also has the fault of underestimating. The future of humanity, as exemplified by the Star Trek crew of the year 2367, is a grand one to contemplate, but the true future will be much better: a world populated by humans and machines striving to be the best they can be; a future that is never static, for stagnation to intelligent life is an abomination. We will do genetic engineering of humans, to be the best we can be; we will do space-time engineering, to travel beyond any immediate confines; we will create intelligent machines, to be our friends and allies. All of these things we will do, and much more. Humans and all other lifeforms, organic or not, will be very different in the time frame set in this novel. But they will be restless, ambitious, and always yearning for more understanding, for more insight, for more knowledge: these traits will characterize the beings of the 24th century...and beyond.

"And you people...you're all astronauts on some kind of...star trek?"

That line, uttered by Dr. Zephram Cochrane in both movie and novelization, has to be my all time favorite from the Trek film series. The most interesting difference between movie and book, as far I am concerned, is that despite James Cromwell's fine performance I found the film's Zephram Cochrane incredibly annoying. I never developed a shred of sympathy for him, because the background the film gave me - the Third World War and its chaotic aftermath - wasn't sufficient to make me understand him. I don't know, not having seen the script from which J.M. Dillard worked, whether she added "Zef" Cochrane's tragic battle with bipolar disorder (a disease that before the War had an effective treatment), or if it was among the elements that inevitably got cut as the film took shape. But I do know that for me, it made all the difference in being able to care about this character and root for him.

The book follows the film with little filler added except for background on Lily Sloane and Zephram Cochrane, which gives it a similar pace. They complement each other well.

As usual, J.M. Dillard does a fine job of remaining true to the source material, while still elaborating on it. The story is an excellent one, with plenty of action and plenty of interesting science-fiction concepts for the more thoughtful to consider. It gives us a bit more insight into the "future history" between the near-collapse of civilization and the beginning of the Federation that has been hinted at but rarely detailed in various episodes of Star Trek, in various generations of series.

The plot and characterization are both excellent and the writing is fluid and professional. The book is a pleasure to read.

This is, of course, the novelization of the highly successful Star Trek: The Next Generation film of the same name. First Contact refers not to first contact with the Borg, for, six years later, Picard still bears the mental scars of his assimilation in the form of Locutus, but to Earth's first contact with an alien civilization. It is a story that had yet to be told, although Captain Kirk and his crew had met the extraordinarily old Zefram Cochrane, inventor of the warp drive, in an episode of the original series; additionally, there had been hints that this pivotal event in human history took place some time after a terrible Third World War on Earth.

As the story begins, the Borg have attacked the Federation, with one of their massive cube ships making a bee-line for Earth herself. Picard and the new Enterprise-E starship defy Starfleet orders and rush to the battle, after which they follow a small Borg ship through a time portal which takes them back to 21st-century Earth. The Borg plan is to destroy the Phoenix, the spacecraft which Zefram Cochrane launches and, by way of its successful warp drive test, captures the attention of a Federation scout ship. If that pivotal event does not happen, the Federation we all know and love will never come to be. While half of the senior staff is planet-side trying to make sure the Phoenix launch happens on schedule, the rest of the crew find themselves battling a Borg infestation onboard the Enterprise herself. Data is captured, Picard is in danger of letting his hatred of the Borg overrule logic and reason, and we get to meet the Borg Queen. Personally, I've always felt that the introduction of the Borg Queen was a disservice to the greatest Star Trek villains of them all. The Borg Queen is a complete contradiction that introduced a level of individual vulnerability into a collective that was, up until this time, faceless and seemingly invulnerable.

This is an impressive novelization of the film, making it a worthwhile read to those of us who are already familiar with the onscreen story. In particular, it provides a great deal of insight into the erratic nature of Zefram Cochrane himself; in the movie, he came across as basically a drunk, but the novelization does a much better job of explaining his behavior. That alone makes this novel a natural and extremely beneficial corollary to the movie.

Star Trek First Contact by J.M. Dillard was an excellent book. it showed emotion, fear, dispair, and anger. IT was a well written book considering it was made after the movie. I encourage all Star Trek fans to read this book and watch the movie.

This audio program will take you to some amazing places. If you going to wonderfully creative places in your mind, you MUST have this collection.

Kevin

I heard this radio show when it was being aired... oh sooooo many years ago. It takes a little concentration and a love of dead pan comedy to really appreciate the concepts. My younger brother thought it was too dry and consequently boring. I am almost finished listening to it once again and love the experience. Not something to play for background music. You really must LISTEN to the dialog or you miss the whole thing. I had it on cassette tape but now I have it forever... Thanks for the mental excursion.

I first heard Fourth Tower in the early 80's on a local radio station. It was immediately one of my favorite things in the world, and I sought a copy for years. Finding a CD copy was even better!

So what is it? Part mystery, part fantasy, it concerns Jack Flanders and his search for the Fourth Tower, which only appears at mysterious times and may or may not even be enterable. At the Inverness estate there are a cast of true characters, including Lord and Lady Jowels, Little Frieda (a cigar smoking little firl), Far Seeing Art, the Madonna Vampira, and let's not foprget the Wurlitzer of Wisdom, where 25 cents gets you snippets from Ram Dass' tapes. If it sounds a bit like a toned down Firesign Theatre, you'd be right. If it sounds like great fun, you'd be right again!

This radio series takes me back to 1972 when I was a freshman in college. Like so many students, it was my habit to stay up late listening to our student radio station while studying. Each night they aired an episode that was so fascinating. I identified with Jack Flanders as he made his way to the Fourth Tower seeking the legendary Lotus Jukebox. Along his journey I was introduced by a unique and intriguing cast of characters. So, sit back, close your eyes, and imagine yourself transformed into Jack's adventure!

There's nothing else like this, except Moon Over Morocco, the more or less sequel to 4th Tower. If you want to be swept away into another world, put on good headphones, turn off your phone, cellphone, computer, etc., and enter another reality. Everything reviewers have said is true, but nothing can express how good this is. Buy it and listen over and over..... owoooooo, return to those thrilling days of yesteryear, to Inverness Mansion, the house with doors hinged on time, windows like a thousand eyes turned inwards....

This product showed up speedily and in very good condition. I am very happy with it.

I'm a big fan for Fruits Basket, the anime, but I started to read the Manga out of curiosity to continue the story and I have to admit that the Manga never failed to amazes me. This volume is so great. We see the relationship between Tohru & the others grows during the summer break, Tohru in her swimsuit, Yuki kissing her and Kyo's care and hidden love for her. It is so much fun to read.

I own this series in Japanese, and it is a wonderful read! It has all the important elements of a good shoujo manga: it is romantic, twisted, with a shoujo (in the traditional meaning of the word) involved in finding a new family and love triangles galore. It is just a very fun read, no matter the language!

the best anime i ever had try it you will never regret (:

This book and all the others totaly rock! I don't know what I would do without them!

Overall Review:

Gryphon's Quest by Candace Sams is an outstanding creative beginning of the Tales of the Order series. Heather, a brave, non judgmental, caring and honest strong heroine is the perfect match for Gryphon both in their love for one another and their love for the world and others no matter their kind. Gryphon, a hero with so much inner torture and anger about his difference from others in the order, his unhappiness with his life and the loneliness he experiences from others avoiding him due to fearing him, is one that the reader will so much see his gifts in beauty just as Heather did. Gryphon's Quest will have the reader's heart racing with the adventures that Heather and Gryphon travel. And even more, the reader's heart will feel so much empathy for the want of Gryphon and Heather's quest to be together. The author, Candace Sams, creates a series that the reader will want to know every legend of those that live within the Order. This suburb mystical story is definitely a keeper that will remain in the reader's mind for weeks and weeks to come. Scenes will be pictured in the readers mind with beauty and joy. This story in its entire deserves all the attention of any reader of fantasy and romance.

Book Summary:
Gryphon's Quest by Candace Sams is book one in the Tales Of The Order series. Gryphon O'Connor, a Druid warrior, is summoned by the Sorceress Of The Ancients, Shayla Gallagher, to report to her for a deed she needs him to attend to. Shayla had supreme power among all in the Order. Her responsibility is to uphold the law and punish those who break them. One of the rules of the Order is that those people outside of the Order must not learn of their existence. If someone in the order tells an outsider, both would need to be killed.

Upon receiving the news that he was needed, Gryphon took his time arriving from the Goblin meadows, where he finds peace away from those who ridicule him. Those in the Order, consider him a freak, monstrous and fear him except for one Fairy friend, Lore. Gryphon's parents, James and Gwyneth, had meddled with powers before he was born, so that he would be born with the ability to protect himself and others. But something went wrong and this resulted in him becomings a shape shifting creature that was different and out of control. For Shayla helping with this, Gryphon's life was to serve her as she commanded. Gryphon feels disgust for all the deeds that Shayla had him complete but when he finds out the urgency of this deed, he takes it upon him to complete. Gryphon had to bring 3 Rune Stones, which were artifacts taken from an unapproved burial site in Ireland and sent to the museum, and return them to a hiding place where they will never be found again.

Heather works at the museum and finds crates filled with mislabeled and inappropriately tagged artifacts. Unknown to her that they were taken illegally, Heather works long hours to sort through these items. Gryphon, against the advisement of his parents, requests Heather's assistance in entering the museum to find these stones before they are used for the wrong reasons and danger occurs. Gryphon, while not revealing who he is, finds respect and trust with Heather in assisting him. Heather and Gryphon find love with one another knowing they could not be together forever. Gryphon too thought he would never experience love because of how he and others viewed him and their pairing is forbidden since she is an outsider of the Order. Danger comes to both and they must battle injuries and their hearts to get the 3 Rune Stones and bring them to safekeeping.
Tales of the Order: The Gazing GlobeStone Heart

Sams has a unique ability to create an alternate world as opposed to the modern world. She calls this the "Order". Here mythical, or are they, beings inhabit our world by keeping themselves hidden from modern unbelievers.

By creating believable characters with all the emotions and attributes of humans, but with the added special characteristics of each type, she can meld the two worlds together.

In this book, the hero is just like any other hero in any other book, except he has unique talents and abilities. He is called upon to save his way of life and all the people who depend on the secrecy to keep them safe. Unbeknownst to humans, he is also saving them.

By enlisting an "outsider's" help, he breaks the rules, but isn't that what a good hero has to do sometimes?

These books are quick reads, and by making the mythical beings seem real, Sams has us wondering if they really do exisit outside the pages of her books.

Candace has let me get a view of her creativity and I can't wait to read the 3 books that follow.... they are already on the way!

Since there are reviews including adequate details from the book, I just wanted to throw in my two cents on how much I loved all of the characters and the plot. Gryphon and Heather have a permanent home on my bookshelf and I have found a new author to read. I hope to enjoy Candance Sams' other books this much.

Gryphon's Quest took me on a mystical journey that I did not want to end. With astute, diverse characters and beautifully descriptive scenes, I feel in love with all parts of this story.

An excellent read, I would highly recommend this book.

Harry Potter 1- 7 Audio Collection

Jim Dale brings the many characters in Harry Potter to life in an amazingly believable way. I thoroughly enjoyed the books and movies, but the audio collection is for me the most enjoyable way to enjoy the series.

I think Jim Dale puts so much life into these books. I love listening to them at anytime. I even have my husband listening to them now also. The set is great to have and well worth the cost

I wanted something to keep my kids busy on the long ride to my sister's house. I got the first Harry Potter and was hooked and had to buy all seven. We have listened to them once through and are starting over again. Anytime we get in the car I hear "Harry Potter mom" and I don't have to listen to them fight. It is so much better then letting them watch movies on trips, they have to use their imaginations and I finally got my oldest son to admit the books are so much better than the movies. Even though the movies were great. My kids were 7 and 9 to start and this kept them busy for a six hour trip; five minutes trips to the grocery store; ride home from the babysitters; etc. Not to mention my dad who never even wants to watch the movies because it is kids stuff is so totally hooked. I will be giving my extra book one and two to my nieces for Christmas.

Jim Dale provides an excellent performance of these delightful books. his voices, while not 100% consistent over time, are nevertheless entertaining and allow one to easily follow which characters are talking and when without involving an entire voice cast. I listen to these books while driving all day for work, and find myself neither distracted nor bored as I follow along in my car.

I ordered the audio collection to give as a gift. My only disappointment was that the collection was simply the 7 books shrink-wrapped together. I had hoped that the collection would be housed in some sort of presentation case.

We join Maggie O'Neill back in Indiana, in the mystical gift and antique shop Enchantments, where she works for a witch, Felicity Dow aka Liss. And Liss really is a witch - a practicing witch in an established community that is blithely aware of the paranormal happenings around them. At least, most of them seem to be immune, but many are starting to notice the increase in crime and accidents that are plaguing the community. When a local Amish craftsman is found dead next to his bicycle with his head bashed in, residents are shocked. Not only was this gentle and talented man killed, but his was the third murder in six months in their small community. Are there supernatural forces at play, or has the town simply run out of luck?

Maggie is quite excited to be attending the annual craft fair put on by the county. Normally Liss attends alone, but this year Maggie is getting a break from running the store to help find some new merchandise. While browsing, they visit the stall of an Amish woodworker they are friends with, and Liss falls in love with an armoire decorated with patterns and bright colors not normally seen on the shaker style furniture normally produced. The armoire had been donated to the auction taking place later that day, so the two women plan to attend in hopes of winning. But the armoire's decoration is credited to another Amish craftsman, Luc Metzger; one like Maggie has never before seen. His craft work is just a beautiful as the man himself, an uncommon trait among the simple Amish people whose faith is foremost in their community. And when the ladies' man is found dead after supposedly doing `one more job' to help earn money for a farm for his wife and children, Maggie can't help but wonder where he'd been.

Maggie and hunky friend Marcus come upon the nighttime scene of buggies that have discovered the body on a darkened stretch of road, and Maggie has to decide whether or not she is comfortable with the paranormal side of her life in order to help discover why there was a strange hex tacked to a tree not far from the body - on Amish property. Maggie's sometime boyfriend, Tom the detective, is also having a difficult time with the peculiar aspects of the crime, but mostly with Maggie's involvement with people he considers questionable because they are not considered mainstream. So we are able to follow Maggie's personal journey into unfamiliar territory that is considered taboo to her Catholic religious background, and also her journey on how to trust her heart and instincts.

I am really enjoying the Bewitching series by Alt. We are seeing characters develop with the paranormal aspect - especially some who are new to the subject or fear reprisal if outed, which I think are normal reactions people would have in real life. The cozy series is engaging, and there is enough mystery to keep you guessing throughout the story. I eagerly await the next in the series, but I have one question: How does Abel charge his cell phone?

i give this author a thumbs up. this is a delightful mix of magic and fun.

Third in the series, this book once again brings us back into the cozy world of small town Indiana. Being from Indiana myself, I can relate to Hoosier prejudices and such. However; after the initial murder, it seems the plot is shelved until after halfway through the book. Maggie spends her time dickering about her love interests. It's gone beyond romantic tension and is dangerously close to entering the annoying. Make a decision and move on! The ending to this book was not quite as satisfying as the other two books but I'm most definitely looking forward to November when number four is released.

a great read...mixes seers from different traditions gracefully. i hope to see many more.
star santa cruz ca

As the third book in the series, Madelyn Alt has managed to show you characters that grow and you start to feel attached to them. This is the key to good story telling and Ms Alt has it down.

There is a natural progression, since Maggie is hesitant to jump into Wicca and everything paranormal, this story shows Maggie, and the reader, that even "wholesome" folks such as Amish may have sides we don't understand and thus are afraid of. Bringing us back to the fact that any spiritual path is only as good as the individual's intent. So Maggie has more to contemplate by the end concerning her spirituality.

The characters are truly delightful and the plot is credible. The romantic tension that begun in book 1 has been developed and continues in this one, making me scream for the next installment to find out how this and that turns out!

My two and a half old son loves anything that has to do with the moon. When I first saw this book, I knew instantly that he would love it. Boy, was I right. The words flow gracefully as we read it together over and over again. This book is a family favorite that is read by someone in my home daily. The illustrations are captivating and will hold a child imagination for hours. Highly recommend.

I bought this book having bought "Picture This" which was illustrated by Allison Jay. My 22 month old loves it!! I like the fact that there are only a few words per page and the story has wonderful rhythm when read out loud. My daughter now tries to say the words along with me and tries to read it to her doll "Dolly". The illustrations for some reason arouse a feeling of nostalgia in me, and my daughter loves to point out the moon, the cows, the swing in the park and the various other wonderful pictures. Well worth a look!

Is about how many times my 3-year old daughter would read this book, (if she could.)

This book is beautifully illustrated and the prose is wonderful. This is a favourite of everyone in our house. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. My son is 2 1/2 and will find joy reading this for years to come. The illustrations are magical. A must have.

BEAUTIFUL PROSE, WONDERFUL PICTURES. My two-year-old son LOVES this book. The assonance (vowel rhyme within the words) in the prose makes it flow much like a poem but much more sophisticated than the popular, "Good Night Moon." The first line: "I took the moon for a walk last night, it followed along like a still summer kite, high in the sky through darkness and light, when I took the moon for a walk." Animals and people appear from page to page with wonderful landscapes that reward readers when closely examined. I am a librarian and this book should be on a list of BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS, EVER.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by:
laura r.

I got this book because someone who reviewed my book HALLELUJAH, A CAT COMES BACK, said they liked it so much. I couldn't agree more. I almost like it as much as my own book. My grandchildren had to side with me of course, but they loved Jasper too. Not preachy, just perfect. A. B. Curtiss, author of HALLELUJAH, A CAT COMES BACK.

I agree with everyone here.. I now look at my cats twinkling eyes & know they are sending me eyes kisses.. This is up there with my favorite dog book Timbuktu : A Novel (Paperback)
-- a book from the dog's perspective

This is a good book for a young reader that loves cats. The story is entertaining and not violent but has a good storyline that holds the attention. It is not long so would be good reading for age group 8-12 and a good story for parents to read to young ones.

Jasper was a good book, but it was sort of sad. Me being a tad sensitive, I, er, bawled my eyes out(i like using that expression). I would have givin it 4 stars if it wasn't so sad. I still think it should have a sequel, but Michelle Groce, please don't make it so sad. It was a quick read, being 174 pages, but filled with emotions: sadness, fear, happiness, and surprise. I would recommend this book to people who are not sensitive, and have never cried reading any book.

P.S. I liked the warriors(READ THEM!!! They're about cats by erin hunter) better, but this was a good book to read while i waited for the new book to come out.

I have read all of the 10 reviews above and agree with every one of them! So, I just want to add my 5 stars to a beautiful, inciteful book which would be a wonderful gift to all animal lovers from 10 to 100 and beyond.

Basically it is a mix between the original 2 scripts for the movie, making it pretty much twice as awesome!

Those random small things that left you hanging in the movie such as where does the Left Knocker lead?

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Ah, another George Lucas movie. Well now its a awesome book. I personally love it as much as Star Wars. Its a strange tale, of a strange girl, who gets trapped in a strange land....wow, does that sound familiar. This is my favourite book! I love it more than Interveiw with the Vampire! and thats alot of love!

If you liked the movie, then you'll love this book. I bought a mint condition copy for about seventy dollars last year, and I couldn't be happier with it.

Like the movie, the book tells of a young girl draw into a fantasy world by her own overactive imagination in order to save her little brother, who has been stolen by the goblin king, who says he is only seeking favor in her eyes, and seems to have fallen in love with her.

The book follows the storyline of the movie exactly, but offers more insight into the characters thoughts and actions. I can remember in particular that the ballroom scene was quite staggeringly more descriptive. A wonderful book, worth the price; espescially if you can find one in good condition.

this book is worth every penny... its a story about a day dreaming girl who wishes her little brother to a land of goblins castles and of course the labyrinth. if you dont want to spent 50 dollars on this book you CAN GET IT FOR FREE.. just google it and youll find the transcript of the book that you can print out and read.. its not like having the book... but its way cheaper..

gosh, i was six when i first saw the movie! now that i'm eighteen makes no difference how i love this enchanting story.

smith brings the story up to another level, as he dwelves deeper into sarah's feelings... and also jareth's. the chemistry between the two is undeniable. i would like to think that in another situation both of them would be together, albeit the fact that she's mortal and he a goblin prince.

smith's writing is of course, very detailed and deep, and he tries to explain all the different meanings and reads between the lines of the movie. he has us vying for the king, and rooting for the good guys, too. he makes us want jareth to have a happy ending, and perhaps one with sarah. he makes us want to see the movie.

well, maybe the movie IS old, and the special effects kind of horrid by today's standards, but truth be, enchantments are timeless.