Hearts Books

I just got this book for my new baby. He doesn't understand a word yet, but I read it to him almost every night because it's so touching and sweet. I'm really reading it for me right now.

I received "Because You Are My Baby" as a gift and my three-year-old son LOVES it! He picks it for me to read to him almost every night. He loves the beautiful illustrations and the whimsical, sweet scenes of just what a mom will do for her child when the sky's the limit.

I can't wait for the next book from Sherry North!

This book really describes the feeling of doing anything in the world to please your baby. Beautiful sparkling pictures and delightful rhymes and scenes of fun and adventure. Every new parent should have one.

"Because You Are My Baby" is the perfect book for any child. My son adores this book! The writing is fresh, intelligent and fun. The illustrations are fabulous! It is sure to become a classic. We are looking forward to the next Sherry North book!!!

Sherry North's book is a delight! It expresses a parent's love for a baby using interesting and contemporary ideas--and succeeds in being warm and real without seeming at all saccharine! Both the prose and the accompanying illustrations are very appealing, both to adults and to their children!
Dr. Lynn Wolf

an electric dazzle of color light all infuse these poems, a terrific joy to read. it's on my nighht stand right now... a true talent!

This volume contains poems and prose-poems that are autobiographical (I assume), biographic and mythical. In the biographical series of interned Japanese, the poets' confidence that the story itself is sufficient creates very effective poems - simple language, well chosen details - and a person is drawn. In the mythic poems she uses more "poetic" language and imagery while retaining a highly effective simplicity. In the biographic poems, the segment that includes prose poems, there is a different sensibility, one drawn from hunting, from social isolation as the child of a war bride - a bride who married the enemy.

The most impressive feature of this volume is the confidence of the poet - the trusting of her skill, the power of story, the power of words. While much of the message of the poetry regards the policy of internment, the destruction of Hiroshima/Nagasaki, racial prejudice, childhood embarrassment of parents that are "other" etc., there is no trace of the diadactic in the poems. The poems simply sing.

Beyond Heart Mountain is a wonderful book. The poems are beautifully written, the voices are quite distinctive, and many of the poems are very moving. I highly recommend this volume of poetry!

A large passion guides these poems from the first line to the last. From tragedy to simple pleasures, an entire range of human emotions is chronicled in this unique collection of poems. Beyond Heart Mountain is a moving experience; a great addition to your library and life.

There is much to be said about poetry with language so finely chiseled it cuts through the page. Roripaugh's words are a feast for the senses. Myth, history, culture, and memory are but a few of the rich ingredients in this dazzling book of poems. Definitely one of the best books of poetry I've read this year.

I read this book with interest...Her book certainly explores the way in which women may find an outlet for their physical and emotional problems through the activity of boxing, although it need not be associated with significant pain or violence. I recommend her book...for individuals interested in reading about the way that women can gain satisfaction in their own lives through the the sport of boxing....

Those of us who thought we knew fighting from the inside out better re-examine our armchairs. Here's a surprising book about boxing - and a book that is full of surprises. I don't particularly like boxing, but reading The Boxer's Heart half changed my mind. The author has as much to say about boxing (and the fight game), as she does about men and women and the way our culture pushes us to see ourselves. It's a compelling read on many levels. One, it's a damned good story about what led one very interesting woman into the ring. Two it's superbly written; she knows language and how to work it like a jab or uppercut - and watch out for the unexpected knockout punch. She can write AND box. On another level this is an involving, compassionate, detailed and painstaking piece of personal reportage about the fight game at a time when the game is beginning to make way for female pugilists (and not so fast either). It's also a thought-provoking critique of conventional male/female role models via the surprising agency (at least to this reader) of this most violent, supposedly most masculine of sports. and is it a sport, or merely sanctioned brutality, a legitimate way to vent murderous rage? the author raises lots of questions inside her compelling may-I-dare-to-suggest distinctly female yet unisex narrative. The book plunges the reader into a ring of rich and challenging insights and keeps you on the ropes till the closing bell. The writing is tough and compassionate, feeling and probing, literary yet down to earth and always bobbing and weaving a spell. The Boxer's Heart is one of the best fight books I've ever read - your adrenaline is in for a ride. Author Kate Sekules performs open heart surgery on boxing in a way no man could - yet she doesn't pull any of her punches. You're going down on the canvas, if you deserve to! She boxes - sometimes shadow boxes - with elusive truths of a deeply personal nature - as do we all - in a way that transcends both ring AND gender divide. This is a classic about the fight game told with passion and wit, destined to appeal, I think, to males and females on the basis of something other than their gender. In other words, to anyone with an interest in themselves and others and life. And I come back to the writing, it sings. Bringing Gleasons and other boxing icons to life like no other fight book or flick i've read or seen. Well worth the ticket price.

My wife recently brought this book home from the library with great excitement, after telling me that she had met and become friends with the author a number of years earlier at a writers' workshop in Vermont. I picked up the book out of curiosity, mostly about boxing (of which I know very little).

For me, this book immediately worked on the most important level - as a vivid, inside account of what it is like to become a boxer, to train at a famous fight gymnasium, and ultimately to enter the ring as a professional. The book is also a lot more: an intelligent meditation on the history and technique of the "sweet science," a reflection on feminism, gender politics, and the vicissitudes of body image, and a narrative arc describing one woman's journey in synthesizing meaning from her personal experience. The juxtaposition of these elements is an ambitious undertaking, and the success of the author in so doing derives as much from her gifted prose style as from her observations and insights regarding the world of pugilism.

Anyone interested in boxing, sports, and/or feminism will find this book compelling, as will anyone who enjoys a good story. I am looking forward to reading Sekules's next book - on whatever topic about which she next decides to write.

I loved this book! I loved it so much I'm not sure where to begin this review! It is certainly well written, entertaining and witty. She also makes many observations about female fighting, and being a woman in this world in general. I am a brown belt in karate, and I really identified with some of her experiences. I found her to be a very honest and emotionally courageous writer. It's a great glimpse into the world of women's boxing but beyond that it's an entertaining and thoughtful memoir.

After reading great reviews about this book, I got a copy even though boxing--let alone women's boxing!--isn't my thing. But then, this book isn't about boxing: it's about life, love, mastering fear and pain, themes that this amazing writer ties together by means of boxing & conflict as a metaphor for life. (Still, there are many fascinating details about real, 'non-metaphorical' boxing too--the first chapter, about the author's preparations for her first professional bout, is so suspenseful and well-told that I couldn't put the book down until I'd gotten to the end when Ms. Sekules tells us the outcome, after detouring through other fascinating territory about her life, the history of women in boxing, and many other issues.) Ms. Sekules does a dazzling job here of intertwining the gripping descriptions of her life in boxing with those issues that that 'the ring' is meant (I think) to represent here: the difficulties of loving (loving oneself not least of all), of coming to terms with one's fears about life and self-worth, of realizing one's limitations--and, in the end, also one's strengths. It's a moving journey.

Also, the author's narrative voice is unlike any I've ever come across: strong, clear, very idiosyncratic, and, in the end, totally winning. It reminded me of the first time I read "Catcher in the Rye"--it's that personal and quirky and astute. I hope there are many more Sekules books in the pipeline. This is clearly a major new author.

Martina's book is a moving, convincing account of the "nuts & bolts" of living with all its emotional highs and lows. The "other Force" that calls the author is woven naturally into the fabric of her adventures. Lynn Reynolds, Designer/Counselor

Reading "Call From The Heart" was a very spiritual experience. It was as though I went to another place where time stood still. I felt like I was reading about my own life and journey. It made me see my own value and worth as a spiritual being and I renewed my commitment to my own journey and path. Kathy Drennon, Business Analyst

The future survival of our species depends on our ability to revitalize our feminine side. Woman must take power. "Call From The Heart" is a courageous step in this direction. John Perkins, author of "The World is as You Dream It."

"Call From The Heart" speaks of the extraordinary journey of a sensitive woman on her path of spiritual awakening. Women cannot help but identify with her pain and her joy-her beauty reflects the beauty of all women on the path of heart. Lynn V. Andrews, author of "Medicine Woman"

"Call From the Heart" is more than a call to women, it calls to men as well. Written as an adventure story, men will relate to the spiritual journey, which transcends gender. The message is powerful and courageous in its sensitivity. Donald Marrs, author of "Executive in Passage"

This is a fun book to read, that also has deeper messages tied within the story. The plot had some twists and turns that I did not expect, which made reading it even more of an adventure. Captive Hearts is a book I would recommend to readers of all ages, especially those looking for a good love story that has God as the central theme.

When I first started reading this book I found myself drawn to it because there was a calm suspense to it. I found myself anticipating the next page but not wanting to leave the one I was on. At this point in my life I had some biblical hurdles to cross but never expected to cross them in this book. There were verses from the bible in some areas. Either before or after each bible verse was quoted there was a paragraph or two that applied to each quote leaving me with a true understanding of how that verse applied to this story. The author's interpretation posed questions in my mind with answers to follow. Being in my state of question about some facts in the bible, this got my attention. As I continued to read I started to feel more and more intrigued with this book. Not only was the story exciting but I was gaining a refreshing new spiritual understanding. I couldn't wait for the next chapter and found it hard to put the book down. A true love story! Love of a man and woman...Love of God...and the determination of two people that made their very different beliefs come together for love. And to think I could have missed out on this...Wow! It was absolutely right on time!

CAPTIVE HEART IS A VERY WELL WRITEN BOOK EASY TO
READ, VERY EXCITING ,AND A WONDERFUL STORY.
WHEN I STARTED READING THIS BOOK I JUST COULDN'T
PUT IT DOWN.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR ANYONES READING PLESURE.

This book is a wonderfully written novel. It is easy to read and is an exciting romance novel without the normal garbage most of todays books portray. It is exciting from the beginning to the end and will keep you guessing throughout the whole book. From the very beginning I could not put it down, no matter who you are you are sure to enjoy this book, from the fateful capture to the end.

What a wonderfully written and easy reading book. From the moment that you start reading, you will not be able to put it down. All the way from Elizabeth being captured to "The End", I was captivated. It is so great being able to pick up a book and not have to worry about all the "junk" that goes with many novels. It is a MUST read for anyone. Trying to patiently wait for the next one from this GREAT author!!!!

The author gives credit to Kansas State University's ONLY #1 nationally ranked basketball team while making the camaraderie and spirit of the team come alive. As a bonus and a real step-back in time, she shares what college life was like 50 years ago on the Manhattan, KS campus. (I can attest to that as I was there, too.) She dated and married one of the starters and knows his teammates. A very good read - even for non-sports fans!

I loved hearing about "teamwork" and the innocence of those times. The underlying story of black/white players was also very interesting. I wish I'd lived in those great times when ball players played because they loved the game, not the $$.

[Matuszak] achieves the depths and heights of team chemistry during a time of innocence and morality. In a language of nostalgia the images of integrity, class and achivement are refreshing! How wonderful to have lived and better to have known the outstanding players of this book. How nice to be able to write about the game in it's glory day!

Matuszak managed to write about a subject I don't know or care anything about (nor do I have any ties with Kansas State) so very touching and humorous I couldn't put the book down. I laughed and cried both while reading this wonderful account of a different time indeed; a treat to be reminded of the "good old days" which were filled with respect, honesty, integrity, etc. Unfortunately many of these great traits have been forgotten, or never learned, by the players of today. Lots of good personal stories filled with love and humor.

What a wonderful book! Lots of insight into the KSU basketball team and the wonderful stories behind the incredible relationships that made this team click! I was particularly interested in the underlying story of the roommates Boozer and Matuszak who were black and white -- long before Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo!

This book also encouraged me to learn more about the All American team selection process -- and the use and misuse of the "honor".

The K-State basketball story is really something...the makings of a movie!

Along with the great plot the humor is laugh out loud funny. You really get to know these people and love them. From the very first chapter the reader is captivated and wants to know more about the characters.

I love the attention to detail, from a note written to roommates to the local beer they drink. I adore how we get to hear the thoughts of both Hayden and Gina, it really brought me closer to them both and made this book a must read.

The budding romance between Hayden and Gina was filled with such sweet moments I would tear up from happiness. The novel is filled with `slice of life moments' that make the story so real to reader.

Did I mention that the story is also very sexy and passionate? Really, this book has it all and will resonate with the reader for a long time until you are compelled to read it again it is that entertaining.

Oh My Goodness, this was fun reading. This is a delightful story. The author explores Hayden and Gina thoroughly. This novel is a substantial read to be savoured. Happy sigh...

Excellent writing (fabulous dialogue, just fabulous!), perfectly paced plot, endlessly interesting characters. I was riveted to every page and didn't want to put the book down. I always hold off opening this author's novels until first thing Saturday morning so I can read as much as possible in the next 48 hours.

The author, who I thought was perfection in her other novels, All That Matters, Arbor Vitea and the I Found My Heart in San Francisco series just keeps surprising me with one hit novel after another.

This is a Keeper!

A great read!

This author cannot write a bad book! She has unlimited talent for bringing you into the storyline and making you feel you know her characters personally. A terrific book! One that you can't put down until it is finished.

I have read all of Susan's published books and this one was a terrific read with characters who develop along the story line. I would not miss any book written by this author!!!

If you are tired of reading Lesbian Romance where the whole point is the sex, or the author is too shy to be proud of the sexuality of her characters. Or where the problems are contrived and the ending is sappy. You've found the right harbour. SX brings quirky and realistic characters to life. Poses real life questions for them and then has us rooting for them as they make their human way toward a resolution. Every book reinforces my faith in the human family without being unrealistic and every book makes me think. The quality of the writing is professional, lively, and vivid.
Thanks again for another book for my permanent library.

Cherrry Grove isn't my all time Meagher favorite, I Left My Heart in SF and Arbor Vitae would hold that honor, but earns 5 stars just by virtue of being a Meagher book. I absolutely love her work. She has humor, angst, great characterizations, wonderful plots and just plain fun reads, and Cherry Grove is no exception.
I'll read anything "Meagher" and know when finished I'll feel very satisfied....... and she doesn't really know how to write a "little" book, you DO get your money's worth.

A terrific book that kept me up all night. A page turner. Makes me want to read more and see what happens.The book's characters are hard to forget, very memorable and nicely drawn. I love how it ends, wonderfully wrap.

This author is a great one. She writes very descriptively, making it easy to lose yourself in the book. She wont bore you with useless details but gives the right amount to grab your attention.! You can reread this book over and over again. It is obvious that Catherine cares about her craft. I am waiting to read her upcoming books!!!

...truly heart-stopping and it keeps you guessing what'll happen the next. let's your mind imagine, picture all those events especially the brutal events, the war... and makes you feel like you are part of their world..magnifico! great sci-fi story..

Engaging book that is well-researched. A real page turner, keeps me guessing to the end. The online reviews are helpful, I'm glad to get a copy of the book. I really enjoyed it.

... believable characters equals to one powerful solid book.
A terrific read. My heart raced just by reading page one. After a chapter I asked myself "really?" So I read the next chapter and ended saying "what?" So I ventured forth, and said "no! what became of Noah?" So I kept on reading all throughout the night and the next thing I knew I was halfway done with the novel. Clearly Children of Time cannot be put down, indeed a one sitting novel and a real attention grabber. I recommend this book to all lovers of sci-fi, mystery, suspense and a bit of romance.

I thought this book might be one that only moms could identify with. I'm not a mom myself, but I loved it! The stories are universal, and include something for every taste (just like a box of chocolates!) Some stories are heartwarming, some are funny, some are bittersweet, and some are inspiring. Personally, I enjoy almost anything chocolate and this book is no exception.

In this relatively small group of anecdotes, almost every inspiring and aspiring aspect of motherhood is embraced and explored insightfully and "right on the target".

A great read, filled with touching and heartwarming stories. Many of them brought a tear. This book is a perfect gift for anyone who has a mother.

I have read a lot of inspirational books, so I wasn't expecting anything more than a pleasant read. I was surprised with how deeply I was moved and touched by the stories in this book. Anyone with a heart -- not just moms -- will find this book uplifting and inspiring.

Chocolate for a Mother's Heart is a wonderful first-aid kit for the heart and spirit. It is the perfect story-a-day treat for ANY woman - seeking affirmation, comfort, or empowerment; needing a good laugh at life's incongruities; or struggling with a problem, thinking that she is the ONLY one ever to face a terrible dilemma. Never has so delicious a treat been totally calorie-less! The perfect gift for Mother's Day or any time.

This is one of the best audiobooks I've ever encountered. I purchased it years ago and have listened over and over - probably ten times over five years - and each time I get more out of it. Spiritual truths are rarely presented with such complete clarity, compassion, and fearlessness. As a voracious reader, a poet, and a spiritual growth/self development obsessive, I can think of few programs that are more helpful.

The crazy thing is ... this is not self help. This is just plain old fashioned bold living. David Whyte is an inspiration, and all of his books and audio programs are more than worth the pittance you spend. Whether you are interested primarily in the poetry he reviews so well or in the "living on the frontier of your life" he teaches, you will find tremendous value in giving this a good long listening.

Fair warning: this is not pablum, and not for the faint of heart. Approach this material with a still, receptive mind and an environment free of distractions. Between his melodious voice, the intensely rich material, and the powerful passions he is capable of calling forth in you, this is not something to be listened to as background for your life. I like listening while I clean the house or take long road trips alone. Or, as I first did, listening with my very elderly, wise, witty grandparents in their warm living room in Vermont with snow falling outside in soft blankets. That was, I think, heaven.

I have been converted to the work of David Whyte. I am really impressed with this man's passion, insight and clarity. I have not listened to all these CD's as I purchased his 'Midlife and the Great Unknown' and have been engrossed with this first.

A word of advice. That these CD's do not have tracks and each CD is a single track. This makes finding favourite sections a real chore. I am both disappointed in this, and that at least one of these CD's is an exact replica of the other CD mentioned above, BUT with the addition of this edit issue. The other CD is easier to drive. If you're not familiar with the beautiful work of David Whyte, and if you like more than one track on each CD, then try 'Midlife and the Great Unknown' first.

Don't buy this CD unless you are ready to take a spiritual journey with David that travels straight into your heart through your soul and expands out into the universe. It was very difficult for me, but I was finally able to hand it to a very dear friend of mine to share with him. I did not want to let it go. When you listen to David's Clear Mind, Wild Heart, you can feel your heart opening in a sigh of relief, safe, full of love and ready to risk. If you have come across this CD and reading this you were meant to. Peace and Namaste.
:)

These CDs put me in mind of an American friend who once said that she wasn't interested in anyone not transforming themselves. They've been spinning in my diskman ever since arriving in the post, and I've been listening to them during my long seaside walks, which is when I slough my skins.

In my view, the language of transformation has been devalued by the self-help industry. It's been so bled of meaning or beauty or both that it's of no use to any of us anymore.

Whyte has directed me towards a language that'll always have blood in its veins, and that's sharp still - the language in poetry. There're no easy slogans here, no pastiched wisdom. Nor are there any gags or attention-grabbers or bullet-points of formulaic action. Whyte just rolls on like a sea lapping steadily at the shore; he gives the listener an ocean of language to contemplate, to immerse themselves in - it's up to you to find what you need for whatever transformation you're currently attempting. His words are generous, intelligent, considered, and often deeply moving. Plus there are dozens of "eureka!" moments to be had: one of mine was when I first heard him say, "I think that boredom is a failure of the imagination." Another was when he introduced then read Yeats' poem "Song of wandering Aengus."
He's not saying much that's new - but he speaks with an eloquence that has woken me up. And he has a lovely voice, and speaks with a soothing cadence.

Buy these CDs. It's worth it.

New to David Whyte, but always seeking inspiration and meaning, passion and depth, when a friend lent me a cd of his I couldn't believe my ears. It's like magic: the kind of speaking that is from the soul and the heart, filled with wisdom of his own insight and the insight of writers through the ages.

If you're reading this, you must find a way to hear him read poetry. He reads like no one I've ever heard before. Repeating lines with different inflection, tone, volume. David's as alive in his voice as Yo Yo Ma is in cello playing. He's changed the way I recite poetry for good.

This particular CD set was worth every dollar of the $44 it cost. It catalyzed my own poetry writing it was so inspiring.