Ohio Books

A wholesome, interesting story. I think it could have used a lot of pruning and it definitely needed a proofreader, with all the errors in punctuation and grammar.

What a wonderful book this is. Mrs. Ellinger has created characters that immediately seem like old friends, and your heart is quickly drawn into the ebb and flow of their lives. The story is positive and uplifting, and leaves you wanting more (thankfully, there is a sequel in "The Wild Rose of Promise"). I couldn't put the book down.

I loved this book! When you are reading it, you feel as though you are really there. One can empathize with Elizabeth's trials and rejoice with her in her victories!! I am definitely looking forward to the sequel!

As a Lancaster native who now lives in KY, I thoroughly enjoyed this period piece written about life in Lancaster 150 years ago. The characters were so believable and the setting was described so clearly that I was able to visualize the entire story as it took place in what is now the historic district of Lancaster. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel!!!

For anyone of any faith, this is a must read. It is a wonderfully, riveting book that can't be put down once it is started. I can hardly wait for the sequel!

Thank you, Ruth, for sharing your faith and ancestry with all of us!

Growing up in Lima, Ohio during the Depression Era was a time of great adventures for Duke Murray! In these affectionate memoirs, Duke (aka. Dr. Emmett Murray, a retired family physician), tells 35 favorite stories from his boyhood years in the Midwest.
After some early mishaps, Duke's entry into grade school opens new worlds of enjoyment. Horace Mann Grade School and its vast playgrounds get long and affectionate descriptions. Adventures on his own find Duke up at dawn to watch the Big Top circuses set up, hauling huge ice blocks while working at Lima Ice and Coal, training the family beagle to hunt and to win show prizes, and taking X-rays of steel castings at a tank plant. Duke helps an eccentric neighbor go after night crawlers, and he faces death and family alcoholism in a school friend's life.
The book conveys the atmosphere of daily life in the 1930s, and Murray's contemporaries will find many a brand name and Age of Radio show to identify with. But Duke Murray goes beyond these to describe also the sounds, the tastes and the smells of the time. "Saturday Night in Lima, 1930s Style" is a golden example of his talent for evoking atmosphere.
Murray communicates a special fascination with life on the farm and the industry and humor of farming people. He describes the big meals, the homemade ice cream and grapes from the arbor. But his fondest memories are of making hay, raising chickens, cattle and hogs, and watching his aunts put up canned food stores for company in the days before modern refrigeration.
The book goes on to describe the dawning realization by America of the inevitability of World War II, and the rather frightening experiences of enlistment and service by all the three Murray sons in the U.S. Army. The book's chronology ends with Duke Murray in medical school, entertaining himself by winning a tall tale radio contest in Columbus, and singing barbershop quartets with his dissecting partners over their cadaver.
These tales will be especially enjoyed by fans of Lima and Allen County, who will respond with glee to references such as the Lima Rescue Mission and the Kewpie Hamburger Restaurant. However, the stories are more than local memoirs in that they evoke the 1930s overall, and depict the universal struggles of a young person learning to fill his shoes in America.
The book includes a map of Duke's old neighborhood, his immediate family tree, an appreciation of his storytelling history, and contact information. Come Reminisce with Me sounds a note of optimism with its attitude that life presents experiences from which lessons may often be derived. Dr. Murray shows that happiness and laughter can happen anywhere, and that life may not be perfect, but that it still offers a lot to enjoy, appreciate and be grateful for at every turn.
Reviewed by Robb Murray, July 1, 2003

Dr. Murray sews together his stories seamlessly. The stories are both quaint and hysterical. His eye for detail gets down to the last inch of the scene. He has a way of drawing you into the story so that you won't want to miss a beat. This book is great for the summer beach bag.

This is a book of many Special Stories. So well written you feel you were there. It is one of those books you cannot stop reading till you finish that last Story.

This book transforms you back to a simpler time in life and one where neighbors really cared about each other.Life at the time might not have seemed so easy but loyalty, manners, patriotic spirit and faith were essential ingredients to a wonderful childhood in the Midwest. You can almost picture yourself in the middle of the neighborhood the author describes and can visualize the characters he describes. It is so pleasant to read.

I must confess that my initial interest in "Come Reminisce with Me" was one of local history. But what I discovered was something deeper than descriptions of Lima, Ohio in the 1930s. Murray's simple style and delicious imagery of youthful experiences took me back to a time in my own life when each day was a new adventure. These memories are intricately woven with humor and humility, joy and compassion, leading the reader through youthful rites of passage on the road to evolving maturity.

Share this book with your friends, kids and grandkids and watch what happens. It's sure to spark dialogue about some of life's most endearing and enduring experiences and values.

Patricia Smith
Allen County Museum

Robison's insights into the the progression of the construction of the Kirtland temple are priceless windows into the most significant landmark in the timeline of mormon architecture. This is a great coffee table book for historic preservation buffs and mormoms alike that won't be put down!

Robison's insights into the the progression of the construction of the Kirtland temple are priceless windows into the most significant landmark in the timeline of mormon architecture. This is a great coffee table book for historic preservation buffs and mormoms alike that won't be put down!

Robison's insights into the the progression of the construction of the Kirtland temple are priceless windows into the most significant landmark in the timeline of mormon architecture. This is a great coffee table book for historic preservation buffs and mormoms alike that won't be put down!

Robison's insights into the the progression of the construction of the Kirtland temple are priceless windows into the most significant landmark in the timeline of mormon architecture. This is a great coffee table book for historic preservation buffs and mormoms alike that won't be put down!

Robison's insights into the the progression of the construction of the Kirtland temple are priceless windows into the most significant landmark in the timeline of mormon architecture. This is a great coffee table book for historic preservation buffs and mormoms alike that won't be put down!

I never could find an EKG book that presented a stepwise comprehensive approach to reading EKGs until my senior resident lent this to me during my intern year. The only drawback about this book is that it's only available on the internet!

Dr. Brose's book is an amazing tool for mastering the EKG. I have personally used this text each and every day on rounds and seeing patients in clinic. It is easy to read and contains what every student/intern/resident needs to know. I implore all of you out there that haven't conquered the EKG, to purchase this book and learn how to become a master at interpretation.

Dr. Brose's "Guide to EKG Interpretation" is a resource that all physicians in training should seriously consider acquiring. It is an extremely thorough book, and its size is deceptive. You wouldn't think a small pocket-size book could pack this much information! As an illustration, I had a question on my Part II board exam about a "J wave", something I had never heard of, even after my EKG rotation and delivering a few EKG lectures. As it turns out, Dr. Brose's book addresses the J wave, while many other resources make no mention of it. Also, the material is presented in a way that is clear and very easy to follow. Full of cross-references, you can quickly gain a solid understanding of virtually any issue you'll encounter when interpreting an EKG. I believe that medical students, interns, residents, and attending physicians alike will benefit from owning this book. Certainly, it is something that medical students and interns should have in their pockets (it is not cumbersome...it's a perfect size).

This book has good illustrations and is written in some color. It breaks-down all of the common disrhythmias and explains much of what you need to know. Also illustrates the areas of the heart that is effected with certain types of disrhythmias. One of the better books I have found at this point. I think they should print a bigger textbook size of this book, it would be even more useful.

Great Ekg pocket!!. Very straight, not boring and easy understanding of the Ekg. Really helpful and time saving. Not a headache anymore on reading Ekg. From simple explanation to more complicated but easy to understand. Great for interns and residents.You should have it!.

This is a great book for people that like ghost stories. Some of the stories are good and some of them are dumb. A good story is the one about the hidden driver.Some of the ones that are bad is the one were some people hear a noise and they think that it was a ghost. It is kind of a hrd book to under stand, but over all it is a good book. The book is about Chris Woodyard going around Ohio and finding ghost stories. I have read a similiar is called the Bone Collecter. It is about a murder that kill people and leaves a bone clue.I think that you should at least read one of the hauted ohio books.

HAUNTED OHIO 4 is a book full of short stories about ghosts. These stories are true, as told by the people who experienced them. These hauntings are from all over Ohio. There are stories about pets that come back to haunt, ghosts who leave things such as money, and ones who take things like macaroni.
I liked this book because it really makes you wonder if ghosts are real, and if there really could be haunted places. One thing I didn't like about this book was that there is too much extra detail, which lets your attention drift away from the book.
In my opinion, HAUNTED OHIO 4 is a good book that should be read by anyone who likes ghost stories.

Haunted Ohio is a book that has many different stories in it. It has some stories that are really scary and some that are just weird. There is this one really cool story about this little girl that sits by her own grave and cry's .And in another story there was an old man that had done something really bad to this girl and had gotten her pregnant and the man had taken the child and hid it from its mother. A few days later the woman died and she is still looking for her child today.

I liked this book a lot because of all of the different stories in it so you're not just reading about one thing so it makes the book a little more interesting. One thing that I didn't like about the book was that some of the stories are kind of boring.

Woodyard's fun and just-scary-enough series about true hauntings in the Buckeye state has kept Ohioans entertained for a decade now. These reports on supposedly haunted sites throughout the state combine anecdotal evidence along with results of investigations into the alleged presences. Over the years this series has taken us from Cincinnati's infamously ghost-infested Gothic masterpiece, Music Hall, to the defunct (but still howlingly paranormal) century-old state prison, Dayton's most spirit-filled graveyard (where a boy and his dog are often seen among the dozens of reported spirits) and even the tale of a ghostly wolf often seen in the mountain country of southeast Ohio. This is good stuff! Read it on a breezy October night by candlelight or read it at high noon in July, it works for any occasion!

This is an excellent book for someone who loves a good ghost story. The reason I like this book is because it's true. Haunted Ohio IV is a sacry, but very good book. It chills you and excites you at the same time. Not good for bed time reading, unless yuo want to have nightmares. An excellent book. A must for anyone who likes a good scare

I was surprised that such a complete collection of stories and experiences existed. Woody was bigger than life but at the same time he was only a simple man that expected the best from everyone he touched. A must read for all fans--not just Buckeyes!

This book was amazing. I could not put it down. It is a must for Ohio State fans. I will remember Woody after reading this.

This book was amazing. I could not put it down. It is a must for Ohio State fans. I will remember Woody after reading this.

This book shows Woody Hayes as the true person, not just the ranting coach on the sideline. As an aspiring coach, I see Woody as an excellent model for success. His genuine love and concern for his players is unique and inspiring. This book is a must read for those who want to see Woody as his players, friends, and family see him. Great book about a Great man.

being woody's grandson, i liked it, there was a wide array of people talking to the author about him. I thought that my favorite section was the last, the friends, foes and fans part. it seems as if many people here in columbus have their own personal run-in or encounter with him and for me, those stories are infitley more interesting than anything else.

the recollections from the players and coaches were good, but they kind of blurred together under the "they may be smarter than me but i can outwork 'em" mantra.

overall, good job. the photos were pretty interesting. we have a few at home that will never make it out, including one of woody in my darth vader helmet at christmas (i must've been ten or less).

My clearest memory of the 1980 Kardiac Kids has nothing to do with any game or player. Instead it occured as a passenger in my mom's car about a week before Christmas and the song "Twelve Days of a Browns' Christmas" came on the radio. My mother, who is neither a sports nor music fan, surprisingly listened to the entire song. She then smiled, shook her head, and said: "People are nuts, aren't they?" To me, it was proof that Kardiac Kids' mania, which had swept the city, had in its own little way affected my mom too.

It's goofy stuff like the above which reminds me why the Kardiac Kids are still loved and why they are such an important part of the history of the Cleveland Browns despite the fact they never won a single playoff game. It is because they brought so much sheer joy and excitement to Cleveland at a time it didn't have anything else to be upbeat about. So much so that even non-sports fans, like my mom, got caught up in it.

The late 60's and the 70's were an awful time for Cleveland- riots, factories closing, the river on fire, the city in default, and being the punchline for every lame joke about civic despair and disarray. As the 70's ended, things looked grim in Cleveland. Nor could Clevelanders take solace in their sports teams: the Indians were in the midst of their decades long span of non-contention, the Cavaliers were being run into ground by the buffoonish Ted Stepien, and the Browns, once the "New York Yankees of pro-football," were wallowing in a sustained period of mediocrity.

Yet in 1980 that changed. Led by a glib, gambling head coach, Sam Rutigliano, and argubaly the greatest overachiever in Browns' history, QB Brian Sipe- a former 13th round draft pick who eventually went on to shatter every Browns' passing record- the Browns went to 11-5, won their division title, and captured the hearts of a city. That is the story of Jonathan Knight's "Kardiac Kids."

Knight takes the reader through the entire football season: from an ugly pre-season, to the disappointing 0-2 start, through the tough march of regular season with its bruising contests against the more highly touted Steelers and Oilers, the agony of the Vikings' game, and the clinching of the division title. Of course, Knight devotes a entire chapter to the legendary "Red Right 88" playoff game which has been seared into the memories of all Browns fans since including those who weren't even born yet.

Knight also attempts to capture how the city literally fell in love with this team. By the end of the year, thousands of fans were greeting the team at the airport upon their return from victorious road games. He recounts stories of Kardiac Kids' mania sweeping Cleveland in late 1980 in a frenzy that had not been seen before or since. He also takes occasional glimpses at the world outside Cleveland: the on-going presidential contest between Reagan and Carter and the death of John Lennon. However, these are minor asides in comparison to the very detailed depictions of each individual game.

Overall, this is very well-written book. Knight thoroughly researched his subject. In addition to watching old game films and scouring newspaper archives, he was also able to interview many prominent members of the Kardiac Kids including Coach Rutigliano, who wrote the book's forward, Doug Dieken, Thom Darden, and Mike Pruitt.

I read "Kardiac Kids" for the same reasons Jonathan Knight wrote it: being an ardent Browns' fan who is fully aware that the 1980 season was special, but wasn't old enough to truly appreciate it at the time. In his preface, Knight states that in lieu of a time machine allowing him to go back to 1980 and experience it himself, he wrote this book as being "the next best thing." I think he succeeded at this goal admirably.

I may have been born in 1979 but this book is a must-read for all Cleveland Browns fans. It is nearing the end of the 2004 season and things are not looking well but reading this book will help you get through tough times like these.

The author provides an accurate description of each and every 1980 game along with a nice prologue, epilogue and "Where are they now?" type information.

I will buy every book by Jonathan Knight!

I have to be truthful here. I really didn't like the book after reading it once. When I went back through it for a second time, I began to understand Knight's thought process when he put the book together, and even though some parts were tough to get through, I was glad I re-read it by the time I finished. If you don't know much about the famous Kardiac Kids, I'd recommend that you give it a thorough read. If you're a self-proclaimed Browns expert, check it out from a library somewhere.

THIS IS A VERY GOOD READ CONCERNING THE 1980 CLEVELAND BROWNS ON A ROLLER COASTER RIDE ON THEIR WAY TO THE PLAYOFFS. THE AUTHOR DOES A GOOD JOB RECALLING ALL THE EXCITING, FRUSTRATING AND DISAPPOINTING MOMENTS OF THIS MEMORABLE SEASON FOR THE BROWNS. HE COVERS HOW THE TEAM WAS PUT TOGETHER, INTERVIEWS FROM PLAYERS AND COACHES FROM THAT TEAM, AND GAME BY GAME REVIEW. ALSO COVERS DRUG ABUSE, TEAM COVERAGE OF PREVIOUS AND NEXT SEASONS. JONATHAN KNIGHT CERTAINLY DID A LOT OF RESEARCH AND RESULTS ARE A GREAT JOB. VERY RECOMMENDED.

i am 15 years old, and a browns fanatic. i am unfortunate enough to have not experienced the 1980 season firsthand. however, this book makes me feel as if i had. i picked it up because my dad would always tell me stories of how good they were and it made me want to be a part of it. it is very well written, blending accounts of the PD (clevelanders know what that is) with insights from the players and coaches. this is the best book about the brwns i have ever read, and aside from friday night lights, this is my favorite book of all time.

Be sure to read the first book, Whiskey Island, before this one. I started reading Emilie Richards with her Shenedoah Series because of the quilt block titles. She only gets better with each book. This series was exceptional. Good solid reading from start to finish.

A multi-layered, multi-generational saga of an Irish family. Spanning the Atlantic ocean and richly populated with a diverse set of characters, Emilie Richards weaves stories together in a flashback style that works, tied together with humor, love, and tragedy. Beginning with a series of disasters during Megan Donaghue's wedding, the reader is then transported to Ireland with sister Peggy and her autistic young son Kieran to the home of a dying distant cousin. Misunderstandings, pubs and saloons, alcoholism, schizophrenia, debilitating grief, miracles, and autism, as well as the requisite red-headed Irish tempers give the story realism, and the setting is casually comfortable. A wonderfully hopeful glimpse into the lives and loves of the Donaghue Sisters.

I read this book unaware it must be the sequel to "Whiskey Island". Not a problem. The author pulls you in with each character and the storyline going from past to present, then back again was done smoothly. I'm looking for other books by this author!!

I am a devoted Emilie Richards fan ~~ I have read almost all of her books and I totally loved Whiskey Island ~~ it's in my home state and I love books that is set in Ohio since I know the general area. I just love Richards' books since she delves into her characters' lives and she brings her readers along with her into a journey that travels back and forth in time between two different generations of people, especially women. This book is no exception. In fact, it's better than Whiskey Island in some ways ~~ the sisters are more mature and dealing with more mature issues than being single and wondering if they'll ever fall in love.

Each of the sisters are set on their paths that they have chosen in life. Casey, who is not written about very much in this novel, is pregnant and happily married to Jon, her friend from high school. The novel centers mostly on Megan and Peggy. Megan and Niccolo are married but dealing with a shattered saloon that a tornado has torn apart, the growing lack of communication between the two of them and with Megan's restlessness as she is temporarily out of work. Peggy takes her son, Kieran, to Ireland after putting medical school on hold since he has autism and Peggy decided to devote time to helping Kieran learn the basic skills. She also went to be her cousin's companion. Irene, a lovely Irish spinster, is seeking answers to her father's death eighty years before. The sisters all help with the research and along the way, found answers to their own questions and problems as well as discovering the great secret that Irene's father has been holding all those years.

This is a great escape-novel. If you're overwhelmed with life and life's demands, this is the perfect book to sink yourself into for a few days. It's not a demanding reading but it's a fun reading ~~ and Richards keeps you guessing as you turn the pages. Once again, she writes about star-crossed lovers, relationships between husband and wife, between sisters and friends and lovers. It's a wonderful novel. She has the charm to keep you coming back for more.

7-23-04

Occasionally life will hand us a situation and we don't know if we are strong enough to handle.

This is the case for Peggy Donaghue when she learns that her young son is autistic. So she puts her medical career on hold while she struggles to understand the condition that has her son locked in a world of his own. When she receives an offer to spend a year in Ireland with a distant relative, she grabs the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with her son and learn about her family's past in return.

Emilie Richards returns to the story of the Donaghue sisters in her novel, "The Parting Glass," a sequel to her bestselling book, "Whiskey Island," which began the chronicles of the lives of the Donaghue clan, the family who has been apart of Cleveland's large Irish community since days of the first immigrant's arrival.

Richards picks up her story of the feisty Donaghue sisters, focusing on little sister Peggy's story. Her decision to move to Ireland to live with elderly distant cousin Irene Tierney proves to be a move that will affect not only her life, but the lives of her entire family. As Peggy helps Irene unravel the mystery of their connected lineage, they discover family secrets that will soon come clearly important to the American side of the family. Experiencing love in the form of handsome but tragic Dr. Finn O'Malley will prove to be an added adventure that Peg hadn't planned on.

Back in the States, Megan, the eldest sister, has married her true love, Niccolo Andreani, an ex-priest who works with the trouble youth of their close-knit neighborhood. However, on the night of their wedding, a tornado strikes, all but leveling the historic Whiskey Island saloon, revealing a mysterious marking that will change the lives of everyone who comes into view of it. As they work to restore the saloon, Megan and Nick found out that married life is not exactly all wine and roses. As the couple work through communication problems early on, each wonders if they have made a mistake abandoning their former lives.

Only the middle sister, Casey, is living in relative harmony, having married her high school sweetheart, Jon Kovats and now is expecting their first child. But if one Donaghue ain't happy, none of them are happy, and the two older sister travel to Ireland to try to sort out their myriad of problems together, family style.

Intermixed with the Donaghue sisters' story is the story of Irene's family during the early days of Prohibition, and how their family became intertwined with the Donaghues in the beginning. The love story of Glenn Donaghue and Clare McNulty is heartbreaking and poignant.

Emilie Richards wraps up her Whiskey Island saga successfully, tying up loose ends and treating her fans to bits of Irish humor, angst, and whimsy in her writing. She ties her story together with glimpses into the past via letters written between the parish priest and his Irish sister. This gives wonderful background information, as well as bringing the story together for a magnificent and satisfying conclusion.

This is a beautifully written book. I admire the careful descriptions the author gives of her characters. Neil, a widowed artist, comes back to a small town in Ohio after many years away. As you read, you'll find how an old tragedy still affects the characters.
The characters are not saintly by all means and are flawed. For example, Mary never really loved her dificult mother etc. This book doesn't give perfect solutions but gives a feeling of hope.
I enjoy the description of a large family network. The author understands the pull of a strong family connection.
I hope to read more of Ann Tatlock's books soon.

After the death of his wife, art teacher Neil Sadler returns to his hometown of Mason, Ohio, for a summer of rest and healing. The pace is quite different from New York City, and boyhood memories collide with familiar faces: his cousin Grace, in the process of turning the ancestral home into a bed and breakfast; Uncle Bernie, the retired Episcopal priest whose gracious words of wisdom contrast with his silence on confidential matters; and Mary, the distant cousin whose childhood friendship could have blossomed into more.

The latter's presence brings the most surprise and conflict to Neil's life. Mary's father, Cal, was like a second father to Neil and the one person who encouraged his art. Then came the murder, shattering Neil's idealism and Mary's life. New York became Neil's home for the next two dozen years. Mary got married and moved away.

Now Mary's back in Mason. Her husband, a policeman under investigation for killing in alleged self-defense, spends his days drinking to forget. Mary's friend Peg suggests that now is her time to move on, find the happiness she missed with Neil.

But the mystery of the summer of `77 remains. Mary's invalid mother was murdered, and her father, Neil's supportive Uncle Cal, was arrested for the crime - and pled guilty.

This book is a slow weaving of past and present, as old secrets come to life and new truths are found. Poignant description reflects the complex character emotions. If you're looking for fast-paced action and adventure in a quick read you'll soon forget, don't choose this novel. If, however, you want rich characters you can savor getting to know, Tatlock's book is well worth your time. - Katie Hart, Christian Book Previews.com

Things We Held Dear by Ann Tatlock is a rare gem of a Christian novel. Neil Sadler returns home to Mason, Ohio after the sudden death of his wife Caroline feeling like he has unfinished business in the town he abandoned almost thirty years ago. He returns to find Mary, the once love of his life, in trouble. Can he rescue her this time instead of abandoning her the way he did so long ago? This book is so full of the little details about life in a small rural town, it's obvious that Tatlock loves and respects the people there. There are no stereotypes here, just people with their flaws and strengths. One of the things that I loved best about this book is that that Christian characters didn't walk around proselytizing the way Christians often do in books. People, at least the ones I know, don't really talk that way. Tatlock's strongest Christian character Uncle Bernie uses St Francis' motto about the faith "Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary, use words." When Neil does find faith, it happens naturally and doesn't completely change the character, it just gives him more depth. The renovations on the house are a nice metaphor for the changes going on within Neil and the Sadler family itself. Oh, and I did I mention that with all this great detail, plot, and characters, Tatlock also manages to get in a murder mystery? And she handles it deftly. Kudos to Tatlock on a beautiful piece of fiction!

Ann Tatlock can't get any better, or at least I don't see how! Looking for characters that invite you to walk in their skin? Need a setting that surrounds you? Tatlock laces the pages with secrets waiting to be uncovered. Will life go on for Neil Sadler and Mary Beeken? Don't plan on putting this one down. Things We Once Held Dear--a reader's delight from the writer's writer.

THINGS WE ONCE HELD DEAR by Ann Tatlock
March 6, 2006

Rating: 5 Stars

Ann Tatlock's THINGS WE ONCE HELD DEAR will be on my list of to books for 2006. While on some levels it works as a Christian-themed story, it works on many other levels, and for someone like me that is anything but Christian, this was a novel that held my attention and captivated me. It's a poignant story about a man who returns home after having been away for many years, to face the demons that sent him away in the first place. But he's also running away (again) from yet another tragedy, that of the death of his wife Caroline.

Neil Sadler is that man that left home when a terrible tragedy struck his family. This tragedy is at the heart of the book, and it is slowly revealed through flashbacks and reminiscences by Neil and other family members. It's a complex story, because not only did it impact Neil in a great way, but also it changed the course of his life. If this incident had not happened, would he have remained in his own town and married the girl that he was in love with all those years ago?

This is a book about nostalgia, about family tragedies, and about forgiveness. On another level it could be about faith in family and in a higher power. But the bottom line is, it's a great novel that will appeal to a wide range of readers. I highly recommend THINGS WE ONCE HELD DEAR.

In Xavier Benoit's story, TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY, readers embark on a journey of one man's self-discovery as he juggles his career, romantic relationship and the temptations he faces. Malik Standish is a sports journalist about to start a new job assignment which will enable him to secure stability in his relationship with Angel Mychals so they can begin to plan their future together. This new position has him trotting all over the United States following basketball great, James Dollar in his farewell tour before his retirement. Not only does Malik get to travel with the team, he gets to experience the perks of ball players such as fine dining, great parties and lots of women. Not heeding the timely advice of James Dollar, Malik gets caught up in situations that jeopardize his job, his relationship with Angel and even his life.

Angel loves Malik, but the betrayal by her first love two years prior has left her insecure and distrustful. In Malik she has found a man who is charming, handsome and also adheres to her religious convictions of abstinence. However with Malik's new job opportunity, Angel's fears threaten to destroy their relationship and it doesn't help that her first love returns and has her questioning whether she is really over him. Angel must decide whether she wants to continue to push away the man who has stolen her heart or overcome her insecurities.

This novel skirts the edges of Christian fiction because there are inspirational passages used as well as spiritual realizations that occur for the characters. However, the author ensures the characters actions are true to the situations. The author tells the story from the viewpoint of the main characters alternating chapters in doing so. This should enable readers to relate, empathize and really connect with the individual characters, but this unfortunately does not happen. Instead of the characters jumping off the pages, they are one-dimensional and lack enough depth to garner a more emotional attachment. For example, at the most trying time in the relationship for Angel, readers don't get to struggle emotionally through her turmoil instead there is a paragraph of her not going to work and sleeping. Although this novel has a good storyline it lacked fluidity. It seemed to jump around instead of having a natural flow that led to its climatic conclusion. This was due in part to the several subplots involving some of the minor characters. Although the main characters are not perfect, Malik as well as Angel must learn from their mistakes and hold true to their faith in order to love and live a better life. The story is generally engaging, it just needs the skilled hand of an editor to polish its flow and give real conflict and feelings to the characters.

Reviewed by Cashana Seals
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

I am very impressed by the arrangement of this book. Not only does this book inspire me...it blessed me with ability to relate to certain situations in the story...and then bringing everything back to the Word...I will read this book again and again...I will definitely continue to advise all race of life to enjoy a wonderful book and I look forward to Xavier's next book.

Very proud of you

This is an amazing book. It captivates you and stimulates your imagination. It has been a very long time since I have picked up a book that I did not want to put down. I could not wait to share this novel with others. Kudos to you Xavier, a job very well done.

I've read this book twice and Im still finding new laughter in each chapter.Its an easy read and it holds your attention from cover to cover.

I loved Xavier's first novel. It was everything that I could have asked for in a book. It was truely a delight for me to read and I am looking forward to seeing much more from this author.