Maine Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

This book is the first book I ever read by Preston and Child. I loved it! Now I am addicted and have read every single book by both authors including the books they have devised separately. I have loved all of them. The only exception is Utopia which was a little harder for me to get into.

If you are looking for an adventure thriller book, Riptide is perfect. It has all of the classic elements of Preston and Child's books that I love: adventure, action, thrill, love, and science. I recommend these authors to everyone I know who are looking for a very entertaining read.

This book is an invaluable resource and every parent should read it. We all say that a child should come with an instruction manual - well, this book is just that! I would highly recommend the active listening and talking techniques to anyone with children. The skills that are taught can transform a bad behaviored, ill-tempered child into a good kid with little effort. Wonderful Book!

"Describe, don't evaluate."

That was probably the most helpful information FOR ME in the book. If I could have given this ten stars I would have. It really forced me to examine how I was speaking to my children. This is definitely the kind of book you want to buy and not borrow---it's easy to slip back into old habits and you'll want to reread some sections frequently.

My son has gone tantrum free for days now. Un-freaking-believable!

Note that this book will not tell you how to discipline or punish your child. Nor will it teach you how to "make" your child "mind you." This book WILL teach you how to engage cooperation without disrespecting your child. The skills taught here will take a lot of practice. It may be several weeks before results are apparent. My son is not an "easygoing" child, but this book has changed our relationship. I now have read it several times and continue to re-read it whenever my son goes through a transition. The skills taught are simple but they really work!

when you start using the methods your life changes! I did it with my 6 year old and so far it changed our lives! a must read!

This audio tape made me realize why I wasn't getting anywhere with my lengthy lectures as to why we don't do this or that. So far this has proved to work. I will recommend to others.

I loved this book! It is always entertaining, at times heartbreakingly poignant, and very difficult to put down.

This book beautifully marries form and content. The book is J.R. Moehringer's autobiographical memoir, spanning from his elementary school years into young adulthood. Much of the book revolves around the hours Moehringer spent in a neighborhood bar on Long Island, trading stories and having friendly but impassioned arguments with the other barroom regulars. As you read the book, you almost feel like you're in the bar listening to the conversation. Each chapter is really a barroom story in itself; you can almost hear Moehringer, lubricated by a few drinks, sharing yet another anecdote from his life history.

Some of the stories Moehringer recounts seem too good to be true. Perhaps, like any good barroom raconteur, Moehringer embellishes a little for dramatic or comic effect. At first I wondered if the stories really were factual. By the end, I decided that I enjoyed the book even more for not being sure.

I don't drink much, have rarely been in bars, and have spent little time on Long Island. Nonetheless, I had no trouble inhabiting Moehringer's world.

I highly recommend this excellent memoir!

The less than 5 star reviewers are not understanding this story. JR's memoir is not about a bar, not about avoiding a life of achoholism, not about whining over misfortune, and not about overcomming childhood challenges. The real story here is sharing boldly and courageously what it is like to grow up fatherless. JR speaks for all of us men who grew up without fathers and his medium is great storytelling. While "growing up" we really were always searching for the right templates for manhood. We would grab ahold of anyone who paid attention! That could be good and that could be bad, but fortunatly for our author, the men at the bar were ultimately a good influence, not all of them as career path role models, but certainly as "man models" and that is what was needed. It is impossible (no criticism) for individuals who grew up with a father to empathize. This is not whining, it is just plain being honest and sharing what it is like. JR's memoir resonates with all of us "fatherless boys" and he must be reviewed from that perspective. For those of you who would like to know what goes through our minds and our orientation to the world, this is great primer/story. BRAVO JR.

I enjoyed reading this book, especially when J.R. talks about the book he wanted to write, especially the chapter in which J.R. includes a number of anecdotes & jokes he meant to include in the book he imagined. I enjoyed the process aspect of this book--the process through which we see Moehringer realize his insecurities and identify his alcoholism, problems with women, and the role the bar plays in his life. It's a little bit like watching someone you care about grow up.

As someone who primarily reads fiction--and much of it adolescent lit due to my career--I found this memoir fascinating to read and thoroughly engaging. The men in JR's life are quite the collection of characters (as are his many family members), and their stories kept me entertained as much as--or even more so--than some of the fiction I've recently read. I cared about JR and his conflicts, and not once was I bored or let down by his storytelling. This was a great book, one that could be put down and picked up again easily, and one that left me thinking about the author and the course his life has taken. I definitely recommend this!

Unbeleivably honest and extremely inspiring. Despite of what he has been through, he is now a successful journalist and a Pulitzer Prize winner. What is ironic is that his book ended up on the NY Times bestseller list. It is as if Moehringer is sticking his tongue out to the senior editors who previously declared him as "non NY Times material". It is a lesson in perseverance and endurance. One should always keep trying and never give up.

With books like this one from King , you do much better reading the thoughts in the minds of the characters. This one will keep you up at night reading. Another one that i loved. I highly suggest this one.

This is a story about two deaths. Dolores Claiborne is the housekeeper for a wealthy lady, and the police are investigating her death.

There is the killing of a husband in the past, and the police suspect Dolores of causing this death, as well. The novel then goes into the backstory of the relationship between the two women, and what is really going on.

Dolores Claiborne is an unusual novel. The story is told by Dolores herself from start to finish as she tells police about a murder she committed and one she did not. Even when the police speak to her, the reader only sees Dolores's response. For nearly 400 pages, we hear one voice in one long chapter. We follow her life primarily through her troubled family life and job as a housekeeper for a stern woman named Vera Donovan. Dolores has been accused of murdering Vera and to help convince the police she didn't do it, she confesses to murdering her husband years earlier. She gives a candid account of a fairly miserable life leading up to the day of Vera's death.

This book obviously represented an experiment for Stephen King. No chapters, no voice but that of Dolores, all of it told as a flashback, etc. By all rights it shouldn't work, and the thick Maine accent of the narrator should have been the final ingredient in a recipe for disaster. Yet, somehow, it does work and works well. Dolores is a tough, salty, old woman but she has her good points. She's a tireless worker, fair-minded, and she tries to be a good mother and wife. Unfortunately, her husband is far too wretched a specimen to allow her marriage to work and her boss begins to lose her grip on sanity, which exaggerates her already harsh attitude.

Dolores Claiborne is not a horror novel so much as a character study. I used to think that was unusual for a King novel, but I'm starting to realize that he actually doesn't write nearly as many pure terror novels as his reputation would indicate. Still, it is suspenseful in parts and you quickly come to care about the characters and what happens to them. I would recommend the book whether you're a long time fan of the author or just looking for something different to read.

This is a wonderful mystery that begins in a slow roll, but becomes a page turner. Delores Claiborne, a cranky old maid for a rich lady, tells the story of her life. Highly recommended, but it is not a horror story if that is what you are expecting from Steven King.

Another lightly supernatural book, and different than King's usual stuff, is "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon." This story of a nine-year-old girl lost in the Maine woods is super. Read it! Click here: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

I found this novel by MR. King to be absolutely wonderful. It was so interesting to read and the well written story was very unique. This book is not frightening like many of the author's stories, but it still keeps an overwhelming spookiness about its tale. The story looks into emotional bond between two different women and their lives that are betrayed by violence, abuse and many other emotional problems. This is a strong and emotional story that is well worth your time. Highly recommend for your reading pleasure.

Every parent, teacher, youth sports coach, and general public who interact with boys should read this book. After reading it, discuss with others who read it. Women, ask questions with trusted male friends.

This is an insightful look into the male mind. My homeschool group is reading/discussing it right now and it has been eye opening to say the least. Although it has been painful to the point that most of the men in our group would not read it, it has still been a great tool in trying to understand our boys and men. I recommend this for reading to anyone who has a boy in their life.

This book is not quite what I expected. I was somewhat disappointed in the content.

A big support to re-convince you that teaching emotions and love to your son is a bigger asset than teaching how to fight.
Good to know that it will pay off when he is older, as a happy man.

This is the best book I've seen about raising boys. My husband and I both have read every single page -- it's the first parenting book we've ever really read together, and we've talked about all of it. My husband felt like he was reading about all the secret struggles he went through as a child too. This is the first book that's made me want to change the way I parent...

This is one of the finest debuts I've ever read. Blanchard's voice is crystal clear and powerful. The book seems to come from a genuine knowledge of the circumstances. Complex characters and situations that arrive on the page from depth of experience. I am often left so cold by these banal, calculated police procedurals; they are so dull. Not this one. There's a beating heart at the core of this wonderful book. Do yourself a favor; read Darkness Peering by Alice Blanchard. It's a sure thing.

This book is a must-read for everyone who has tired of the formula "thrillers." The conclusion is a total surprise, even to those of us who paid attention and usually can guess the end. The character development was reasonably thorough and the plot progression was filled with unexpected twists and turns. The complexity of the relationships added credence to the conclusion. This is a book that will haunt its readers for awhile. Alice Blanchard has a unique gift that leaves her readers wanting more.

Blanchard's "Darkness Peering" is one of the single best debut thrillers I've ever read. It's original, powerful and utterly brilliant, with that raw energy of a writer discovering their talent right in front of our eyes. Great book.

This was an awesome read. Constant suspense. Characters were all believable. The author led you to believe that there were several possibilities of who the killer was. I did not even suspect the actual culprit. Well done in keeping the reader guessing and then surprising them at the end. I would definitely recommend this one.

Just a great, great, great piece of writing here. A freakin' amazing twist at a totally unexpected point in the story only pushes my thumb's up even higher toward the sky. This is a writer of rare talent and insight into the darker aspects of humanity.

I was drawn in, right away, to the characters. LOVED the end-it was so uplifting! An easy, fun read.

What a joy to watch the main character of this book gain peace in his life. Such an uplifting, but certainly not perfect, group of characters were found in this small town. It made me initially yearn to move to a small town, then helped me to see that such characters are all around me if I only open my eyes and my heart to them.

Good characterizations and descriptions. An uplifing story, perfect for Christmas time. My elderly parents both enjoyed reading it, too.

Fannie Flagg Is the Best Writer I have come across in many years. She has a magic on par with Mark Twain. You will fall in love with her novels and I would recommend any and all. I cant say enough good things about her. Even before I finished my first book of hers I ordered all of the rest! I only hope she writes many more as they are each a jewel and a treasure. Happy reading.

This is a touching, heartwarming, picture yourself living there with those people as your friends and neighbors story. It is easy to envision all of the things taking place. This is a good spirit of the season read.

This is a unique book and very good. If you have ever had a dream or feel God leading you into a new era of your life this book is for you. Very encouraging! You may feel you are part of the story, because you are.

This is a must read for all from age 13 and up. It is simple yet powerful and explains who God is the ultimate Dream Giver and how we and others may stand in our way of achieving His Dream for us. I buy these and give as gifts and will until I can find no more copies.

This is an outstanding book to use in an adult Christian education class. It teaches us about the purpose God " The Dream Giver" has for us and how we can achieve the dream with HIS help. It leads to wonderful discussions.

The book came very quckly and in very good condition. I purchased it for our adult grandaughter and I've no feedback from her yet but I'm sure she will enjoy it. I have several books written by Bruce Wilkinson and my husband and I have found him to be one of our favorite authors. Thank you for you promtness.

This is a Christian book but you wouldn't know it reading it. and least not for 3/4 of the book. i mean that as a good thing. It's not preachy and i thoroughly recommend it for Christians and non Christians alike. The first part is a really motivation story about someone going after his goal despite everything around him holding him back.
I've bought 2 copies of this book so far to give to others.

This book is a wonderful book to read if you have any time to yourself. It keeps you giggling and in happy spirits. The way the book is written is really diffrent. The book is written in letters back and forth between pinpals at diffrent schools. A lot of drama takes place, and many life lessons are learned. The Year of Secret Assignets is a great book for young girls in their teens to read! The book deals with love, friendship, school, and drama! This book is a perfect book for young girls who are on their journey into adult hood! This book reads very fast, and it is also not hard at all to read!

The journey of 3 girls, Cassie, Lydia, and Emily, all begins when their English teacher assigns them the hassle of writing to another student at their rival school, Brookefield High.
The assignment seems as lame as their teacher, but they're in for a big surprise. The girls are all shocked to find out that their "pen friends" are all boys! Emily and Lydia are used to talking with boys, but Cassie is more on the shy side, not knowing what to expect.
When the communications and problems between the schools start to take a diving turn, the girls find out what it really means to be there for each other.
I really loved the way Moriarty made me feel like I was with the characters through their ups, downs, and in betweens. The plot was set up so that it was easy and fun to read, and to really understand the emotions of the girls and boys.
This book is a treat for anyone who loves to read about love, hope, and the meaning of true friendship. I recommend this book to anyone who has a special friend in their life, and knows the real meaning of being there for a friend.

~Michaella H.

~The year of the Secret Assignments~

This book is about three girls and three guys, the three girls and guys that meet through a pen pal lettering between schools. The six teens have these secret assignments that the girls made up the three girls are Lydia, Cassie, and Emily the boys that they write to is Seb, Charlie, and Matthew but there's a huge twist in the story. All three girls are best friends and have known each other for a long time. In the process of writing to the other school, something goes wrong between the two schools where a huge vandalizing war breaks out between the schools and the three girls are blamed for all of it.
I loved this book it was a great book that I would recommend this book was a real page turned to where you couldn't set it down. If I were to grade this book I would give it an A+. Any teen would probably like this it has so many surprises. This book would really be great to have. So overall I really enjoyed this book and I hope when you read it you feel the same way to, and if you want an exciting book then find The year of the Secret assignments.

This story is told only through letters - from Ashbury students to Brookfield students, and vice versa. The characters are very well developed, as are their relationships. We see the pen pals form friendships, and I cheered for them even when they did something stupid and got mad at each other. It's also interesting to see the different perspectives on one event - some thought it was great, others didn't, etc. The author had sharp insight into human nature there.

Even though we see nothing unless it's been written down in some form (via letter or transcript), the story comes across very strong and clear.

The humor is sharp and witty - I laughed out loud on more than one occasion. A very enjoyable story, which will make a good re-read.

THE YEAR OF SECRET ASSIGNMENTS by Jaclyn Moriarty has an interesting format. It is written entirely without dialogue. "What?" you say. It's true. The entire novel uses letters, diaries, journals, emails, and transcripts to tell the story. It's quite intriguing.

Three best friends, Cass, Emily, and Lydia, embark on an adventure that begins as a pen pal assignment in their English class. They each end up with male pen pals from their rival, Brookfield High. It quickly becomes evident which of the girls is writing, as the voices of the girls are quite distinct. I had a little more difficulty identifying two of the boys and remembering which girl they were writing to. The third boy's voice was quite distinctive.

Through a series of secret assignments the year 10 pen pals get to know one another, challenging each other to attempt various tasks. Just as they become comfortable with one another, feelings get hurt and the letters come to a halt. One pair of letters becomes downright frightening. When a true identity is uncovered, letters resume with a flurry of intensity, until vandalism begins at both schools and all students are ordered to stop writing. When the three girls are summoned to the office, they must rely on their pen pals to uncover the truth.

I would recommend this book to my students. The voices are fun and authentic. Although the pacing of the book is somewhat slow at the beginning, probably due to trying to keep the characters straight, it picks up significantly as they forge relationships with their pen pals. The ending is both surprising and satisfying.

Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger

I don't understand the positive reviews here or the caldecott award. The sketchings are artistically done, true, but in a way an adult can appreciate intellectually; they don't really evoke emotion. The story is a yawner.

I loved this book as a child so I got it for my
grandchildren. They aren't as impressed with
the pictures from 1950 as I was, but still is
a good story.

She has hundreds of books and everytime I visit she would ask me to read her this book. She loves the illustrations... especially the seal!

I can not tell you how many times I have made blueberry pancakes since we got BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL. My 2 1/2 year old boy loves, loves, loves this book. It has a bit more of a plot than someone his age is used to. The first time we got to a point where the story switches for the moment from the story of Sal and her mommy to the story of Little Bear and his mommy, he stopped me and paged back to look at the pages abiout Sal some more. Once we got past that, he came to love BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL. We read this one over, and over, and over. I have the sense that this book stretched out how much story he could manage, as it is longer and more complex than any storybook we had tried previously.

BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL has also been a great seasonal story for us in fall and early winter. The book is set in fall, and it has allowed us to talk about seasons. Our boy is quite interested in the idea of winter and how the people and the bears are both getting ready for winter.

BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL was one of our bedtime stories tonight, and I have a promise now to make blueberry pancackes for breakfast again. We love BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL!

sweet book for little kids. It is an excellent book to read aloud to your children and grandchildren. It is about a girl out picking berries for her mom and it shows a baby bear doing the same for his mom.