Montana Books

In addition to the guide books, I recommend this to anyone traveling to Yellowstone as a book to read before they go.

In a concise format, the National Park Service does an excellent job of explaining the geology and natural history of the park, the wildlife and the history of the development and use of the park as a public resource. The explanation of the caldara and the volcanic activity that formed Yellowstone and continues to animate it to this day is fascinating. Warning: The "big one" when it comes, is likely to come through Yellowstone, probably the place on the earth where the protective crust is thinnest between us and hot magma below.

The books also includes very good maps and wonderful pictures. An excellent primer that will whet your appitite to visit one of our great parks.

This is the funniest book I have read in years. I found myself constantly laughing out loud.

Author Michael B. Muri has been a bartender in Montana for over 30 years. He is obviously a good listener with a fine sense of humor. During his life, he has experienced people with a wide range of philosophies about life. Whenever someone said something that struck him as humorous or insightful, he would write it down and save it. This book is a collection of those quotes and witticisms.

I highly recomend the book.

This book is awesome. I read it after my mother passed away and I was only 16 yr. This book taught me so much and I carry it as a sort of life guide...when I feel I'm forgetting the lesson I just refresh myself. This is my most prized book and I still have it near after 10 yrs. Buy this book for any youth you love that has lost or is lost in the world and it will brighted their mind to see that there is more.

It has great condition and price. but adding shipping fee, I'm not sure
If it was good deal....

This book is amazing. I can't believe I'm almost 50 years old and not read it yet. It should have been required reading in High School. This book has depth and perspective but also it is written with an amazing, easy to grasp style that makes it a classic for almost any age. I immediately bought two more of Mitch Albom's books plus another written by Morrie Schwartz himself. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to be gripped by a story about life and happiness, and to be introduced to an author who is in a class by himself.

I enjoyed this so much the first time that I am rereading it. A heart-warming story about a former student paying homage to his favorite professor at Brandeis University. The book will tug at the heart and feed your soul, making you return for daily servings. Through Morrie's physical struggles with Lou Gherig's disease, Albom gives us the meaning of life through gentle reminders of what really matters - living life, appreciating friendships, looking within for life's rewards, not outwardly through material possessions. Told simply but poignantly, this book will stay with you long after you put it down

I'm a little late in getting to read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. It was written 11 years ago and yet the messages are still powerful today. If you haven't read it, pick it up and join in an amazing journey with Mitch and Morrie. If you have read it try a reread. We have all changed our roles in life over these past years, and you will be reading it with different eyes. Today with all the political and financial changes read this as a way to ground and stay on focus. Enjoy!
"We have to learn how to die in order to learn how to live" Morrie

Seriously I have no idea what all the fuss was about (the book being anti christian and all) but what I can say is that it's a brilliant dark fantasy book which combines our world with another and brings out a wonderful story.
The Golden Compass is a compelling and wonderful story of fantasy and adventure. I was still wondering about Lyra and her friends long after it ended.

Being a resident of Alaska, I loved this book. Plus, the fast-paced action creates a story that you can't put down because you really, really want to know what's next. Read this book if you love fantasy, if you're looking forward to the film and want to read the book first, or if you've heard the controversy but want to learn the facts straight from the source. In addition, the book contains a few gorgeous descriptions of life in the far, far North. I give it a 9 out of 10.

Ok. First of all. This book took me two weeks to read, which is a ridiculously long time for me. I've been known to finish a couple of books in a day.

The reason it took me so long was that I was lost from the very beginning. There was just way to many characters and questions introduced in the first few chaptes and I couldn't seem to catch up. I'm not sure if this was Pullman's writing style (lots of dialogue, not many descriptions) or my fragmented reading style - but I just couldn't get into the story.

I wasn't a huge fan of the characters. I liked the setting and thought the premise was original... but I wasn't blown away.

Yes, I will read it again because I think it will read better the second time.
Yes, I will read the next book.

But overall - I probably wouldn't have even finished it if I hadn't of purchased it.

Philip Pullman's Northern Lights is also known as The Golden Compass, which was made into a movie last year. Published in 1995, this is the first novel in Pullman's His Dark Material's trilogy about the journey of a young orphan girl, Lyra Belacqua, and the world she inhabits. This world Pullman has creative is a fantasy and mystical adventure where people have shift changing animals called daemons by their sides. These daemons are a part of the person's soul and their personality.

Lyra's daemon is named Pantalaimon and they reside at Jordan College, in Oxford, England, which is parallel universe during pre World War II. Lyra has free reign of the college since her Uncle Asriel is quite powerful and a major benefactor to the college. He keeps her there for her own safe keeping as he travels around the world as an explorer. One day Asriel comes for a visit and Lyra stumbles upon a plot to assassinate him. The Master of the college wants to do away with Asriel because of his on-going search for a mysterious particle called Dust that is found near the Aurora Borealis.

Asriel leaves on his merry way, and Lyra continues as she has always done, playing with childish abandon and causing a ruckus. Lyra sometimes is a bit too curious for her own good. But things begin to change as children in the town go missing. Soon there are rumors that the children are being taken away and being eaten by "The Gobblers". Lyra is safe and sound, but the children she plays with, including her one close friend, Roger have been kidnapped. She decides it is up to her to solve the mystery of The Gobblers and the missing children. Lyra doesn't get that far in her investigation because a beautiful and mysterious woman, Marisa Coulter comes to the college and takes Lyra away as her assistant. The big question is, who is Mrs. Coulter and why is she so interested in Lyra? That mystery is soon solved because Coulter is behind the kidnapping of the children. And not only is she kidnapping the children for a horrible reason, she may be responsible for imprisoning Lyra's uncle and has plans for the Dust that could change the world.

Northern Lights is a wonderful, fantasy tale that has so many hidden meanings and subtle undertones, mainly dealing with religion and the bible. When I first began to read, I really couldn't see why some people would be so up in arms about this book. But as I continue to read, I could definitely see the philosophical, theological and spiritual aspects that Pullman has written, mainly from John Milton's Paradise Lost. (I found this information from Wikipedia.com) Lyra is the main storyteller and she is a spunky and a tad bit bratty. But what would you expect with no parental guidance? She is also very smart and brave. Her journey is one that is dangerous and scary. The many people and creatures she meets, from talking bears to witches really bring the story alive. Pullman's world building and storytelling is incredible. I didn't want to stop reading because each page would bring me to the final epic battle, and in my eyes this was a battle between good and evil. See, there are those religious undertones I am talking about.

"Epic" is the main word that comes to mind when describing Northern Lights. Things build up slowly, where Pullman introduces all the characters nicely to the point where the action starts and doesn't let up. Some books are much like the movie going experience and I would definitely say that Northern Lights is one of them. This would be a great book to act out, chapter by chapter, especially with children, who of course are the ones that Pullman has written this tale for.

I enjoyed my reading experience so much so, that I would definitely be interested in reading the next two books in this trilogy and perhaps one day if I have my own children, I can sit down and we can read Northern Lights and the rest of His Dark Materials trilogy together.

Katiebabs
His Dark Materials Trilogy (His Dark Materials)

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman is the first book in the trilogy: His Dark Materials. The story is remarkably told in a parallel universe that is similar to ours, but of course, this being a work of fantasy fiction, Pullman included magic and other fantastical beings. The story has many main characters but the most important character is a stubborn and courageous young girl from Great Britain, Lyra. The whole story is about a golden compass, Lyra and her daemon Pan, and their magnificent journey through this parallel universe, carrying out a task that is not immediately defined but they know it will save their world and make history. The story is a delectably retold history of our world in a more fascinating and magical setting. From beginning to end, the storyline is filled with suspense and unpredictable events.
I believe that the book was very well written, and the plot was gripping. Philip Pullman managed to put all of his imagination and creativity into this book, without having the wording too verbose or hard to interpret. His writing style was very detailed, descriptive, and yet simple so that not only young adults like myself could read it, but also that adults would still enjoy his brilliant work of literature.
The Golden Compass also holds many ingenious and significant metaphors, such as the daemon, an animal that is part of your soul, but really stands for your true character or conscious being able to converse with its human form. Along with metaphors it has a very strong religious(especially Christian) and moral take on things. Philip Pullman delectably writes a simple fantasy fiction children's story, but with remarkable hidden messages that readers of all ages would enjoy to interpret and read. No doubt this trilogy will soon be up there with other great fantastical classics of literature.

After reading the first 2 books by Nicholas I figured I would go in order of how they were written and "A WALK" being the 3RD. It was was heart breaker, Jamie was the preacher daughter and where ever she went she took her bible. Landon was a troubled teenager, who after a play and going to the orphanage falls in love with Jamie. When she tells him she is sick, he is heartbroken. I had tears in the eyes for a while in some of the chapters. At the end you never really know if Jamie dies or not from being sick, you have to use your heart to figure it out.

"A Walk To Remember" was my first exposure to Nicholas Sparks, but it was the movie, not the book. I absolutely adored the movie and I can watch it over and over, and cry, and cry again. Finally, I read the book, just to see how it differed from the movie. It was a disappointment. Yes, it was a sweet love story, and keep the kleenex handy, but I've come to learn that Sparks' writing style really doesn't change from book to book. The story is about a typical teenager who discovers the inner beauty of an unpopular, overprotected girl and falls in love with her. The characters are well-developed but what annoys me the most about all of Sparks' books are the long, drawn out self reflection of feelings and emotions (I like him/her, does he/she like me...well, he/she seems to like me...)

I've seen all of his movies (including "Message In A Bottle", "The Notebook" and "Nights in Rodanthe") and loved them all. After I found out they were all books by Nicholas Sparks, I decided I'd better start reading, that they had to be good!!! So, now I've read half a dozen or so, and the more I read them, the more I dislike his style of writing. These books are nothing more than modern-day Harlequin romances. Predictable and, well, boring. Most of the women in the books are very annoying and makes me wonder why on earth any man would put up with them. And Sparks uses the same phrases from book to book and more than once in a book. If I read "she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear", one more time...

I'm currently listening to "At First Sight" on audiobook. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to finish it, then I'm done with Nicholas Sparks. I'll watch the movies because they're good chick flicks.

once again nicholas sparks brought me to tears. this book grabed me from the very beginning! i loved every minute of it. nicholas sparks created an amazing character that made mebeleave true love does exst and it can brake any barriers.....this is a book that i will passfor all my friends to read.

This is one of the only times I would say a movie is better than the book. But if you haven't seen the movie yet this is a great book. I like to read the book after seeing the moving to read what the characters were thinking etc.
I enjoyed the differences of the book from the movie but I liked the ending in the movie better.
It's a great rainy day afternoon read.

Not surprisingly, Sparks tells a beautiful story of two teenagers in love, with absolutely nothing in common. At first, the love between Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan looks as if it won't happen. Landon is outgoing, popular, and has many friends. Whereas, Jamie - she keeps to herself, carries a bible, and dresses plainly. She is a great person with a "big heart."

Landon decides to take a drama class to skid by in school. He is then put into a play and this is when Jamie starts talking more and more to Landon. Landon is embarrassed in front of his friends, and Jamie immediately notices it. She walks away from him and Landon feels bad for hurting her feelings. Time passes on and the two of them start spending more and more time together. Love is inevitable for the two.

Jamie volunteers for on orphanage, and Landon senses his feelings changing for Jamie. He begins to see her in a new light, one with compassion toward her.

In the end, Jamie has a big secret that no one in town knows about, except her father. She decides that her love has became so strong for Landon, that she must share this secret with him, and knows deep in her heart that it will destroy him.

What the two of these characters share between each other is beautifully depicted in this story. It will bring happiness and sadness to you, and if you love to cry at a good story, then this is the story for you. It will also make you look at life in a different attitude.

I've heard a lot about the book and decided to pick it up since I heard they were making a movie. If you're into chick lit, I found it very amusing, funny, and easy to read. The book came in quickly and was in perfect condition.

Our bookclub selected this for our October gathering. We were very disappointed with the book and the characters. There were many opportunities for character development ~ didn't happen. It required more than 100 pages to get to the first really humorous situation! And for all her dingbat antics, the heroine still got the job and the millionaire ~ go figure!

If you want to read something that will make you laugh out loud this is the book for you....written somewhat like the Bridget Jones collection..very entertaining, light read. All of us can relate to the struggles Rebecca has with her money I am sure. I have already read the next book in the collection.

I AM SO ADDICTED TO THIS SERIES OF BOOKS... I love her humor, I can relate to her main characters lives in all of her books.. I can't wait until she comes out with new books I'm always pre-order. TOTALLY ADDICTIVE.. even though I am not a shopaholic I get so pulled into her characters lives. She's my fav. author...

After reading "the Undomestic Goddess" and "Can you keep a secret?" which are some of the later books of Kinsella I thought I'll just give the book that shoot her to fame a try. I must admit that the title had put me off for quite some time because it just sounded so silly. But I thought that maybe that was just the title. Well, the book is kind of silly at a whole. I know these chic lit books don't set out to use symbolism or to deal with political issues, their humble goal seems to be to entertain us readers and most of the time they do. But I believe there is a very fine line when funny and chic becomes ridiculous and over the top. While the later books of Kinsella seem to stay on the right side of that line this one doesn't.

Don't get me wrong, this book will make laugh sometimes and it definitely has a few moments but the shopping and stupidity of Becky, the main character is excessive and boring. Where the main characters of the later books of Kinsella didn't have their life in order in a fun way, Becky just comes off as dumb and hard to sympathize with.

This is an ok book that might keep you slightly humored but the later books of Kinsella are much better and I would recommend them before this one.

Anyone says that the movies are preferrable to this needs to learn how to read (that said, I'm a huge of the movies--they are cinematic masterpieces).

But this is classic fantasy at its best. Every other fantasy author to come along, as great as they are, still have not managed to create the depth of what Tolkien created.

Stemming from the world he created for "The Hobbit", Tolkien writes a truly epic story of good vs evil, friendship, and loyalty. All simple, wonderful themes that speak to us whether we live in Middle-Earth or the real world. He has managed to great an entire culture that the reader finds himself caring for, a world that needs to be protected at all costs.

Tolkien is a master of plot. While the story isn't unnecessarily complex, it is broad and you have to hand it for him for juggling so much.

The characters even more so are wonderful. They are flawed, but at the same time properly heroic.

"The Fellowship of the Ring" is an excellent beginning to a classic trilogy.

The title pretty much says it all. In fact had it not been for this very version of the story I might never have been able to read the trilogy in its unabridged form. The Library of Congress version, better known to some of you as the Talking Book version recorded mainly for blind would-be readers, just didn't capture the story at all. Because of the narrator's voice I just couldn't get into it.
Then along came Recorded Books Incorporated with their unabridged recordings. In fact when I have a choice of audio book companies I generally go with them because of their excellent narrators. Actor Rob Englis does a fine job of bringing these classic novels to life, and Fellowship of the Ring is no exception.
The book comes in a very portable box and consists of about sixteen disks in four cardboard holders, although only fourteen or so are given over to the actual story. The remainder are given to Tolkien's afterward and the Concerning Hobbits material actually found at the beginning of the book. It's actually quite a nice setup. In fact I've got the entire trilogy, minus the Hobbit, stacked on my dresser beside my bed, next to a small boom box for easy listening.
As for the performance, as I said, Rob Englis does a very admirable job. With his deep, calm English voice he's able to convey the narrative quite well, and while his voices aren't extremely varied it's still easy to tell who's speaking, whether it be Aragorn, Boromir or one of the hobbits. I particularly like the fawning yet sinister portrayal he gives to Gollum.
All in all this is an excellent version, not the least because it includes everything found in the print editions. An excellent narrator only makes things better. It's great for lying at home reading or taking a long trip in the car. I listen to them at least once a year, generally more than that.

If you are a fan of The Lord of the Rings, this audio recording is must-have for your collection. I love to read and re-read the trilogy; there is something magical about these books. Sometimes I focus on the poems, sometimes the characters, sometimes I just read them because they are familiar and comforting.

This unabridged audio recording brings the book to life in a new and wonderful way. The narrator's voice is a perfect match for the story. Rob Inglis gives each character an appropriate voice, and his reading of the narrative is excellent. It's wonderful to listen to the story read aloud by such a fine actor!

I've purchased dramatic abridgements of the trilogy, and was disappointed. So much was left out! With an unabridged reading, I can enjoy the whole story. If a poem or passage strikes my fancy, I can listen to it again.

I am very pleased with this version, and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good audio version.

The BBC verison is superior in almost every way than this NPR version, but this does have a few things to recommend it. Tom Bomdadil sounds just as I imagined he would. Sam's voice is childish, but for the most part endearing because of that. I imagine this is how he sounded at nine when he first met Frodo and you can easily hear how much he loves his master as this version includes my favorite scene from Book IV as Sam watches Frodo sleep and the light that is shining from within and says to himself, "I love him" and the loving reunion in the tower. Both are interesting inclusions because Americans usually shy away from the showing of same-sex affection so this was welcome in showing that beautiful, pure bond of theirs. The scene with the Barrow-wights is very well done and quite terrifying. You can very easily understand why Frodo would have been scared enough to want to run away. The narrator's voice sometimes gets really caught up in the action, dramatically describing the fell beast of the Ring-wraiths or especially Sauron's realization that he is doomed as Frodo puts on the Ring. I almost felt sorry for the Dark Lord there for a minute as he frantically sends his Nazgul to stop that little one, but then I crowed in delight, "Too late! Too late!" Unfortunately, the narrator is the only one that is enthused in this, except for Sam. Frodo is quite lackluster. Don't try to take the Ring away from him, but otherwise you have no idea that his soul is being torn apart. When he claims the Ring/is claimed by the Ring is done well though.

This is one book to enjoy. Tom Bambadil is the best! Tolkien creates interesting stories with classic creatures that most people have a slight background of information to, thus not wasting time on creating a new world of different names.

There is quite a bit of raunchy in this one. Of course you have a good sister and a bad one. Lots of unexpected "bumps" along the way. Worth reading but the movie is nothing to compare. A book is always so much better.

The book was great. I watched the movie first and realize it did'nt give the book justice. I love the way the author told the entire story and how she used Mary's point of view. I have since purchased several more of Philippa Gregory's novels and enjoy every one of them.

The Other Boleyn Girl is a very interesting book, that is also very fun to read. Being only 14, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would compare it to Gossip Girl #1: A Novel (Gossip Girl Series) but in medieval times. A great book, must read.

by the time i got past ch 1 i felt like i was in the kings court. Im now beginning my next book by Phillippa about the Bolynes and the English court.

If you've seen the movie and were disappointed, don't neglect the book for that reason! This book is a great example of its genre and is historical fiction at its best. The movie was almost embarassingly bad and was no credit to this book.

Covey is a classic just as this book is. He's a true Guru. Just buy the book and work the plan. You will not go wrong. It's not a lot of "cheerleading" and motivational fluff. It's a plan of action from the first to the last page. If you follow it - your life will change.

"What you are shouts so loudly in my ears I cannot hear what you say." ~ Emerson

"The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" is a book I'd heard about so many times I actually thought I'd already reviewed it. Once I realized the book was new to me I started reading it with very high expectations. From the start Stephen Covey seems to meander through a wide variety of loosely related topics. By page 77 I went to read all the one-star reviews because I needed a break and seemed to be bored. I agreed with many of the reviews but felt I should give the book another try so I kept on reading.

The book became more interesting as Stephen Covey started to talk about being reactive vs. proactive. I did think that perhaps some people were offended by the thought of working on yourself instead of blaming others for your problems. I figured that might explain some of the negativity as some books work like a mirror to reveal your faults. The other complaint I have to agree with is that Stephen Covey has a very complex writing style. He also keeps referring to the same examples over and over again - the golden eggs and the goose is used so many times I lost count but felt irritated each time it was spoken of again. Once would have been fine and for some reason it just set me on edge each time I read about it. He also uses the word "paradigm" obsessively.

In this book you will also learn a lot about his family's strengths and weaknesses. I'm not sure I would have told some of the stories in this book because they seemed too personal. He calls his sons "honey" in the book and that would seem more appropriate if he was talking about his wife. I always feel for a writer's families as they are exposed in a light I find unattractive.

So what did I learn from this book? Here are the seven things I learned:

1. Be Proactive
2. Write a mission statement for my life
3. Prioritize
4. Seek mutual benefit in all human interactions
5. Listen more and talk less
6. Value difference
7. Take care of body and soul - exercise, meditate, be an eternal learner, cultivate meaningful relationships

I liked the ideas of using visualization to create success. The ideas about writing a mission statement for your life and being opportunity-minded seemed like good ideas. The quotes in the book are quite good and since I collect quotes I was happy to have found some new ones that were very meaningful.

For the most part I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be more successful especially in business. I think the ideas are good but for the most part felt that the book was overrated and at times rather irritating. I didn't feel good or "seasoned with love" while reading this book so I'm only giving it three stars.

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." ~ Albert Einstein

~The Rebecca Review

I keep this book in my special library. I bought it to get organized and learned how to both organize my days and prioritize my personal life. This book emphasizes being effective by deciding what is important and what is not. I would recommend it those that just can't seem to figure out how to fit life into 24 hour days, and puts spirituality at the forefront.

I own a signed Fireside First Edition (1989) of this book, and it is one of my prized possessions. The reader before me, someone I know must now be someone very important, had underlined the most important topics in this ever popular self-improvement text. As I read it, I can actually feel the impact these words had on so many other readers Worldwide. I see that the reader before me underlined "trust is the highest form of human motivation" and then I am amazed that years later, Covey publishes "The Speed of Trust." I take the words in text seriously, as I read that I "must get involved with training and development" and of course, the reader underlined this part as well.

I am convinced that all leaders have read and mastered the skills in this book, and I also know that my book was read by one of those leaders. Me! Andrea Samadi, author of The Secret for Teens Revealed: How Parents, Teachers, and Teenagers Can Inspire Leadership and Transform Lives

In browsing my book shelf I came upon and then found myself rereading this incredibly simple yet profound book. The principles and ideas Stephen writes about are truly ways to discover how to live your life as the person you want to be. I especially found the section where Stephen writes about how powerful unexamined attitudes and perceptions influence how I react toward situations and others. Once I started looking at my predetermined thoughts...those same situations became less mundane and irritating. My experiences became more authentic, meaningful and enjoyable instantaneously. Stephen writes of this as a "paradigm shift", where our attitudes and behaviors, left unexamined, shape how we feel and act in our life in mechanical patterns.

Two authors that have also inspired and ignited my passion for living a magnificent life are Ariel & Shya Kane. The Kanes works: "Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment", "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life", "How to Create a Magical Relationship" and their internet radio show "Being Here" on Voiceamerica.com are all indispensable sources I turn to in supporting my well-being in all areas of my life. I highly recommend the Kanes and Stephen Covey classic, timeless book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People."

The movie was terrible, but this book is hands down my favorite still after 30 years of reading excellent books. Keeps you thinking all the way through.

Sunday, July 09, 2006
"Sphere" by Michael Crichton, ©1987
This is an interesting book. I started reading it because it seemed better than that J. A. Jance story I had brought with me.
It has the distinction of having a psychologist as its hero. There are not too many science fiction books that even have psychologists in them, much less, as the hero. The best part of the story is the end: it makes so much sense and it was so obvious to start with. Then there is the inevitable what happens now that we all feel after a good story.

This was the first Crichton book I read a really long time ago. The book is great. Way better than the movie that came out. The mood and characters were developed so well and just kept me reading.

Michael Crichton weaves an awesome tale in Sphere. It's a unique and mind-bending tale that spins from one catastrophe to another with nice fluidity. Your'e constantly reading to find out not only what the Sphere is but the history of the characters. Crichton explains some difficult concepts using simple grammar which will help any reader who didn't pass chemistry. The Sphere is a character in it's self and that help propels the story forward. It's very creepy and makes you realize how powerful free will is. I highly recommend it because of the action, characters and story.

The writing in this book was really good. The underwater scenes described and the dicovery of an unusual spaceship at the bottom of the ocean are rivetting. I love books that explore and discover something unknown! The ending however is really, really ...lame! Like he intellectually just ran out of gas and wanted to end the story right away. (It is very similar to the movie.)