Used Books

This is likely the best book Anne Rice has written which, in the opinion of some, isn't saying much. I found it compelling and intriguing. I very much enjoyed it and it's predecessor's deep and fascinating history woven through our own reality. I could have done without the rock star things (or the movie)

This novel has a lot of philosophy to it that really makes it, not just fun to read, but memorable. I read this book over a month ago and yet I'm still thinking about certain moments and certain questions.

The book hits the ground running, right from the start there's blood, lust, and "rock and roll" as Ann (and people from past decades) call it ;)

If you were charmed by Louis and Lestat, it'll be difficult to not fall in love with a couple of new characters including a brave and clever archaeologist with powerful psychic abilities named Jesse. And Daniel, Armand's beautiful companion who recorded Louis' story in IWTV.

I wanted to give this book a 4.5, but since I can only give it a 4 or a 5 I rounded it up.

The reason I don't think it deserves the full 5 is that the climax didn't end up being as climactic as it could have been. The Queen of the Damned is simply built up too much as being too powerful for there to have been any good ending. and for all her thousands of years, she certainly comes across as very childish and simple-minded and it seems odd to me that she is so different than every other vampire in the story, ancient or fledgling. In fact all the remaining vampires end up appearing more unison and similar than you would ever expect. It's as if they're all different parts of the same person. But perhaps they are all different parts of the author, battling out these philosophical questions through these characters.

Regardless, you're going to want to read this book for yourself. If you've ever enjoyed an Anne Rice book before, you're going to enjoy this one.

Third book in the Vampire Chronicles.

Lestat is back, narrating another book and breaking more rules. Lestat traces his vampiric roots back to ancient Egypt and we meet the first vampires, now as still as statues, seemingly unaware of the world around them. Lestat wakes Akasha, the Queen of the Damned, and sets an ancient prophecy in motion. Marvelous!

The brat prince is back with a second memoir, the third in The Vampire Chronicles series. The tale is as compelling as ever, as sensuous, but I found this book to be a little more... disjointed than the others, possibly because of its 3rd person narration throughout most the first two thirds of the novel. Brilliant tale despite the confusion of the various, oft seemingly pointless, narrators on the first read.

Strikingly different from Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat, nevertheless The Queen of the Damned is worth the read if you're a fan of the series. If not...

The whole "all men are evil" nonsense just doesn't do it for me.
I may be a tad oversensitive but its how I took the book.
The story is decent, the characters are well thought out, the story itself is long and a little tedious, but I'm glad Akasha gets hers at the end of the book.
This book is better than "Lestat"
Most of the "rock star" nonsense is absent.
I'd say if your new to the Vampire books, then start with "Interview", I wouldn't say this is required reading.
It has some interesting parts, but on a whole, the series is starting to get bogged down with too many characters, too many story lines and the already mentioned, male bashing.

In which the children survive a really bad school, and meet some new friends with something in common.

Followed by: The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 6), my personal favorite in the whole series.

Ah, what can be better than shipping off a pathetic trio to an abusive private school? (And everyone likes to think they're so much better?) For lack of a decent guardian, the Baudelairs are forced to spend time at a deranged school full of deranged characters and violin concerts. It's as clever and hilarious as the rest of the series... but now with a sudden mystery that pops up with the introduction of new characters. Folks, this is where this series gets its meat.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like living as an orphan whose rich parents passed away in a terrible fire? Well Violet, Klaus, and Sunny know. Join them on their woeful adventures to different guardians in the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. In the 5th book of this series (The Austere Academy) Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are at their 5th home, a low-class academy with mean kids, a mean principal, and bad lunches. Their awful Count Olaf (a master of disguise) is still trying to steal their fortune in this suspenseful tale.

Book #5, The Austere Academy, is my favorite book in the series. This book has a lot of mystery and high-class vocabulary. It is mysterious how Lemony describes the school. It looks like sad office buildings. Its motto is "Remember, you'll die." It made me think this school would be an unpleasant school. The vocabulary helped me a great deal to understand what was going on.

Liam D.
Grade 6
Ms. Kawatachi

This is the 5th book in Lemony Snicket's "Series of Unfortunate Events". In this book, the Baudelaires are put in a boarding school where they are made to live in a shack dripping with goo and crawling with small crabs. If one forgets to make an appointment to see the head of the academy,vice-principal Nero, they are not allowed silverware at mealtimes. Violet's teacher tells stories that are only a few sentences long and boring or non-sensical, and the students are supposed to remember each one. Klaus's teacher has her class measure everything, and to remember each measurement. Sunny, the baby, is made to be Nero's secretary. Every evening, Nero - a terrible violin player - makes all students sit through a six-hour concert of his. The gym teacher is even more hard on the Baudelaires. Every evening, he makes them run laps all night long. One very good thing happens to the children, at last. They make two friends, who are good friends at that. They risk their lives for the Baudelaires and, though Count Olaf did manage to find the children at the academy, at least the Baudelaires escape him. In all probability, we will see their new friends again - that is, if they are still alive.

These audio books help children that are having trouble with the written word. I also use them in the car, so each trip we hear more of the story. The kids love them and I think it makes them interested in reading.

Many themes of Anna Karenina are timeless: marriage, infidelity, the roles of men and women, personal fulfillment, honor, spirituality, and naturalism. If that isn't enough, then Tolstoy offers an 18th-century look at Russian society and culture, still well before the run-up to the revolution. Don't look to Tolstoy for enlightened feminism, although one of the characters argues for education and equality for women, and one of the minor threads relates to the status of peasants.

Tolstoy is not especially subtle in portraying his characters, full of emotion and conflict. Nobody is idealized, yet all still prompt some sympathy. The main characters are so richly drawn. Anna's decline was inevitable, but it's the loss of someone far from pure evil, with her significant talents and deep capacity for love.

Read Brothers Karamazov and Anna K at around the same time, as I did, and you'll get an excellent opportunity to compare two of the greatest Russian novelists head-to-head. Two thousand pages well spent.

I'm probably one of the very few people who read this classic without having a clue as to the ending (no, never saw the movie--still haven't) ... so it was a genuine surprise and it rocked me. The opening line is a killer ... nothing else like it in all of literature. Although I prefer Dostoevsky to Tolstoy, this is a genuine masterpiece.

It's really hard to understand sometimes! Anna Karenina is the famous Tolstoy tale of a wife who has an affair. At first, I wanted to quit it was such a difficult read, but once I got through it, I loved it. I have to say, I thought Kitty and Levin's relationship was really cute, especially when they finally kissed! I was super-sad when Anna killed herself, it just sucked that was so sorrowful that she felt the need to die. I didn't really like Vronsky, he seemed sort of like a jerk who just lost interest in Anna, after she left her husband and son for him. I like the parallels between Anna and Levin. Sometimes, it did get a little boring, like when Levin worked with some peasants in a field, it took like, a huge portion of the book to explain about the field-work. Also, I got a little confused when Levin started to believe in God. All in all, a good read, not for those who get bored easily, though.

"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." That line opens and sets the tone of "Anna Karenina," a tangled and tragic tale of nineteenth century Russia. Tolstoy's story of lovers and family is interlaced with razor-sharp social commentary and odd moments that are almost transcendent. In other words, this is a masterpiece.

When Stepan Oblonsky has an affair with the governess, his wife says that she's leaving him, and now the family is about to disintegrate. Stepan's sister Anna arrives to smooth over their marital problems, and consoles his wife Dolly until she agrees to stay. But on the train there, she met the outspoken Countess Vronsky, and the countess's dashing son, who is semi-engaged to Dolly's sister Kitty.

Anna and Vronsky start to fall in love -- despite the fact that Anna has been married for ten years, to a wealthy husband she doesn't care about, and has a young son. Even so, Anna rejects her loveless marriage and becomes the center of scandal and public hypocrisy, and even becomes pregnany by Vronsky. As she prepares to jump ship and get a divorce, Anna becomes a victim of her own passions...

That isn't the entire story, actually -- Tolstoy weaves in other plots, about disintegrating families, new marriages, and the melancholy Levin's constant search for God, truth, and goodness. Despite the grim storyline about adultery, and the social commentary, there's an almost transcendent quality to some of Tolstoy's writing. It's the most optimistic tragic book I've ever read.

For some reason, Tolstoy called this his "first novel," even though he had already written some before that. Perhaps it's because "Anna Karenina" tackles so many questions and themes, and does so without ever dropping the ball. No wonder it's so long and imposing -- Tolstoy covered a lot of ground in here.

And while "Anna Karenina" was not the first book he wrote, it is probably the deepest and most moving. Tolstoy steeps the book in social commentary, and his personal philosophies. It's also one of those books that takes a very long time to move itself forward -- Tolstoy's writing is slow and ponderous, with a lot of serious discussion about religion and relationships. But his intense, slightly rough writing is worth it.

In some tragic books, you get the feeling that the author really despises his characters, and doesn't really care what happens to them. Tolstoy never gives you that feeling -- no matter how annoying his characters are, they always have something interesting or endearing. No caricatures at all -- even Anna's irritating, arrogant brother is given some quirks to make him seem real.

Oddly enough, the most moving character here is not Anna, but Konstantin Levin -- the tortured, passionate landowner is so earnest that it's difficult not to care about him. Apparently he was Tolstoy's alter ego, which explains his depth. But Anna and Vronsky are strong leads, a passionate pair who are both selfish and seductive, but never boring.

A beautiful look at living right vs. living wrong, "Anna Karenina" is a truly magnificent book. This book is undoubtedly Tolstoy's opus, and a stunning look at human nature.

Half the content is elaborate banal detail used to establish context, but in it's more consequential moments this novel is the final word on the disingenuous nature of institutionalized aspects of social behaviour. It's a theme I've pondered and seen touched on in a few other books, but I was blown away by how comprehensively Tolstoy articulates and extrapolates my own thoughts.
This novel is primarily a work of philosophy, using the characters to illustrate social observations at the expense of a fully cohesive narrative.
It's difficult to understand how fans of classic fiction, who generally consider "reading" a neccessity for respectable people, don't take offense to this book as it seems to be constantly critcizing that kind of cultural pretense.
Another interesting thing I got from the book is how culture 100+ years ago doesn't seem as formal and conservative as I had previously been led to believe. Parents were already complaining about tradition falling out of favor among the younger generation and governmental red-tape was already something criticized as getting in the way of practical goals. On the other hand the doctors of the era are presented as having no medical knowledge whatsoever.
my fave quote:
"The word talent, which they understood to mean an innate and almost physical capacity, independent of mind and heart, and which was their term for everything an artist lives through, occurred very often in their conversation, since they required it as a name for something which they did not at all understand, but about which they wanted to talk."

This book shows a complete and utter ignorance of the spiritual realm. Worse still, it targets another religon, and makes it out to be evil, and the cause of all the said towns problems. Religious intolerance is the ONLY evil in this book! And I am so grateful to God that the spirit realm is none of the tripe, that this book purports. Nothing is more harmful than ignorance, except for the fear it creates. Surely the burning of innocent people at the stake, in the dark ages, by the church, should have taught us all, that religious ignorance, superstition and fear of the spiritual, only causes pain, suffering, religious wars and death! And then tell me where the real evil lies.

Very good and disturbing Christian fiction of the unseen spiritual warfare swirling around a small town. Peretti takes the risk of giving the spirits (evil and heavenly) names, faces, and personalities, but shows how God is in control acting through the intense prayer life and straightforward faith of simple Christians.

And Peretti tells a good story, keeps action moving, and has a good feel of dialogue and humor.

I WAS SKEPTICAL IN ORDERING THIS COPY BECAUSE IT'S AN OLDER BOOK, BUT; THIS BOOK WAS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION, NO DOG EAR MARKS, TORN PAGES OR YELLOWING OF PAGES. ALTHOUGH, I HAVE YET TO READ IT, I HAVE READ PIERCING THE DARKNESS, WHICH WAS VERY GOOD.

This book is pretty good. The author has a very nice, readable style and good storytelling abilities. The book is somewhat long, but fast-paced. It would probably offend non-Christians (and even some Christians, for that matter) but if it is accepted as an entertaining work of fiction rather than a theological treatise to be analyzed, that shouldn't be too much of a big deal. Also, the book is "clean:" it's not full of profanity and perversion. However, the depictions of angels and demons are a little bit corny, for lack of a better word.

Brief summary: A big-city editor moves to a small town and begins to develop problems with his wife and college-aged daughter. He develops a close friendship with one of his reporters, whose sister died under mysterious circumstances. The two of them begin to discover that there is an evil occult-like conspiracy at work in their town. At the same time, the local pastor and his wife are discovering the same thing. These main characters get into all sorts of trouble while searching for the truth and trying to decide what to do about what they learn. In the end, of course, the good guys win. The reporter gets some closure and the editor reconciles with his wife and his daughter, who was nearly killed by the bad guys, and they all decide to develop a closer relationship with God, and all the demons are expelled.

This is a religious fiction classic! The story is gripping (though a little slow to start), and a very interesting take on the unseen world around us.

This is the first SB book that I read and it was clever, thoughtful, interesting, suspenseful. She crafts her novels is such an interesting way and her writing style flows so well. The heroine shows strength, intelligence, and wisdom. The hero is hard to like, he is rash, impulsive, rough, bitter yet soulful. You will not regret this fast paced and intriguing novel.

This is a very good read and I couldn't put this book down until I had finished it!!!

I have read this book several times and find it to be one of Sandra Brown's best. The idea of a book inside a book, although not original, was very interesting. I found myself wondering how both would end. An author writing a novel about what happened between him and his best friend and then asking the friend's wife to publish this book. Of course, the wife is in the dark about what is really going on and it makes for exciting reading to go back and forth between her life in NY and her visits with the author and then to skip to a chapter in the book. By the time I reached the climax I not only understood why the author was so bitter, I felt the same way he did. This is a must read for Brown's fans.

I have always loved Sandra Brown's books. This one is very well written and is a great story. It is not as steamy or romantic as her other novels, but I think that the plot of the story is of a better quality.

I found this book to be lacking in the romantic department. At times it was too vulgar for my taste. A dark story that did not encourage me to want to read it again.

Glorious mess of overwrought romance, unrequited Southern pandering, claptrap psychologizing, and over the top drama that comes together to equate to a pot-boiling bestseller. It was made into a big Hollywood movie with Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand in the lead roles and (for another of my infamous sight-unseen movie reviews) these fatuous scene eaters give the story the mess of overblown emoting it deserves.

The best part is the short section quoted by Jimmy Buffet in the song that inspired me to read this book in the first place.

Not the worst book I've ever read, but if this is what passes for bestsellers (like the Da Vinci Code so ballyhooed of a few years past) it confirms me in my reluctance to read many bestsellers.

The Prince of Tides was my first Pat Conroy book. It is an eloquent masterpiece in my opinion. Conroy writes what he knows and he creates characters that are so rich in humanity and a story so deep in conflict yet he writes with a magical prose. Years after reading this book, some of the images are still indelibly imprinted in my mind. He reminds me of modern day Tennesse Williams in his portrayal of flawed, tragic Southern characters. Truly a wonderfully gifted writer. I decided to write this review after perusing through a list of Conry books to find my next one to read. Forget the movie, read the book first then see the movie. It will only richen the experience.

I read the book after I watched the movie starring Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand. Reviews of the movie were mixed, in part, because those who loved the book disliked the changes wrought by the movie. That being said, I loved the movie and I loved the book.

As promised in some of it's reviews, this book does make the reader laugh, cry, and ponder. After watching the movie, I learned a great deal more about Savannah's character by reading the book. She was so articulate and brutally honest about the family situation and her mental illness. I learned much more about Luke and understood why his death had affected Tom so deeply. I was given a deeper glimpse into the tumultous marriage of Tom's parents. I read about the history of Tom and his wife. It caused me to better understand why Tom returned to her at the end of the story.

It was interesting when Tom's wife, Sallie, telephoned Tom in order to reconcile. She did not say, "I truly love you more than the cardiac surgeon" (who was actually more in her league, socially). She had been having an affair. She spoke of how the cardiac surgeon betrayed her. Tom's response was, "Do you want me to beat him up? I will let you watch."

There were some thought-provoking tales, describing circumstances that caused the family's resistance to racism in the deep South and Savannah's comparison of racism to Naziism. There were football stories - one in Tom's high school years and one when he was a student at the university of South Carolina. For some reason, those stories made me cry. They showed Tom at his pinnacle. In the book, Tom provided a strong argument for the value of a good football coach in a boy's formative years.

The character of Dr. Lowenstein was developed well by the author. If you watched the film first, you will see that the character in the book differs some from the character played by Barbara Streisand. But that is to be expected.

Overall, this was a fantastic read.

I could not put this book down. Pat Conroy is an amazing storyteller...and certainly brings his characters to life. I am currently reading his book Beach Music and I am enthralled again. Would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a wonderful reading experience.

This book was gorgeously written. The language was captivating and almost poetic. I couldn't put it down. The story was hilarious to gut-wretching, and everything in between. Characters so three dimentionally written, one would believe they were real-life acquaintances. One of the most moving books I've ever read.

Also try, Tao Cycle Therapy: Natural Happiness via Self Directed Cure for Chronic Anxiety & Depression [Updated 2008 3nd Edition]

Try this, Tao Cycle Therapy: Natural Happiness via Self Directed Cure for Chronic Anxiety & Depression [Updated 2008 3nd Edition]

Can we convince ourselves that everything's swell and that we feel nice? Of course! People can convince themselves of all kinds of things that are objectively untrue. If you want to go through life believing things that are objectively untrue, cognitive behavioral therapy is for you. But does pretending to have a different reaction to circumstances beyond your control actually help in the long run? Because that's what CBT is all about: pretending, repressing, sticking your finger in the dike to hold the flood back a little longer. There is absolutely no scientific proof that it works, period. (Google "limits of cognitive behavioral therapy" and "why cognitive behavior therapy doesn't work".)
CBT is nonsense. Read some Schopenhauer and get a dose of reality; you'll be better off.

Try this too, Tao Cycle Therapy: Natural Happiness via Self Directed Cure for Chronic Anxiety & Depression [Updated 2008 3nd Edition]

Este comentario va en castellano porque su máxima utilidad es para lectores no usamericanos.

El libro es bueno, muy bueno diria, pero el lector no usamericano debe hacer un trabajo constante para "desusamericanizarlo" pues el libro tiene muchas cosas que solo son razonables para alguien que tenga membresía en ese marco cultural.

En resumen: en medio de bastante ruido cultural hay buena información de caracter bastante "universal".

After years of fighting the battle of the bulge (my weight was always up and down), my wife and I decided to try this "diet" back in 2000.

I put "diet" in quotations, because that word usually implies that you eat a certain way for a while, lose the weight, and then go back to the way you were eating before.

WRONG!

"Sugarbusters!" is not a "diet" per se, but it is (or should be) a lifestyle choice.

After trying many diets and weight-loss schemes, I had pretty much resigned myself to fate and genetics (my father has been obese most of his life). After buying and reading Sugarbusters, my wife and I cleaned out the pantry of all the "no-no's" and went shopping using the Sugarbusters dos and don'ts. We adhered to the rules and guidelines laid out in the book.

The weight MELTED off of us.

I was surprised at how quickly the weight came off. We didn't only lose weight, we lost inches as well (sometimes we lost either weight or inches, sometimes we lost both).

In the first 4 months, I lost a total of 50 pounds and my wife lost 60; and here's the amazing part.....

....we did it WITHOUT exercise.

I am not saying that exercise is not important, but at that particular time, we were both very active in our careers and had little time (practically none) for a workout routine. We did exercise OCCASIONALLY by walking mostly, but our dramatic weight loss resulted mainly from changing our eating habits and lifestyle.

Yes, you do have to make some sacrifices, but you can substitute things you once ate that were "forbidden" foods with something similar. For example, I loved peanut butter; sop instead of eating the "regular" kind (loaded with sugar and other additives), I eat Smucker's All-Natural peanut butter which contains only peanuts and salt (it does have a bit of fat and too much salt is not good for you, so rememeber that moderation is the key). Yes, the taste is somewhat different, but you get used to it.

I never once felt "starved" or that I was missing out on something. Sometimes I felt like I ate too much (portion size is VERY important) only to step on the scale the next day to discover that I had lost more weight. If you eat the right things in the right amounts (don't go back for seconds - wait an hour or two and have a "legal" snack) and avoid the "forbidden" foods (corn or corn-based foods, anything with any kind of starches or "enriched" ingredients, switch from regular pasta to whole wheat, from regular rice to brown rice, switch from white bread to whole wheat, eat only "natural" sugars or sugar substitutes, and stay away from potatoes (except sweet potatoes in moderation)), this "eating lifestyle" works.

READ your food labels!!!!!

Just because a loaf of bread says it's "wheat" bread, doesn't mean it's OK to eat. If the ingredients say "enriched wheat flour", DON'T EAT IT! It has been "enriched" with complex starches (sugars) that turn to fat when you digest them. Don't worry about this too much. The book teaches you how to read labels and what these "ingredients" really are.

Well, here we are 8 years later and I have kept the weight off for the most part. I have strayed somewhat form the Sugarbusters lifestyle and have gained some of the weight back, but I am nowhere near as large as I used to be.

This eating plan works, but you have to stayed focused and committed and it's something you have to stick with for the rest of your life.

It's WORTH it!!!!!

This book is fantastic! I started following this program in 2005 and I lost 84lbs without exercise. Due to health reason's I couldn't exercise. I have kept off the weight because it isn't a diet you are modifying you eating behavior and it's easy once you start. Just stay focused and take it day-by-day. I used to eat sugar like crazy and after I started this book my body stopped craving it. I eat it every now and then, but I use Splenda instead since it's made from sugar. Just remember, we are worth it to feel good! Good Luck!

This book, written by Doctors who were not happy with popular diets that patients had tried, really tells you what you can and can not have. That's it! You either accept their philosophy and embrace it totally or don't bother wasting your time reading past the first chapter. Does it work? WOW YES. Is it expensive to implement? More YES THAN NO. Is it easy? WOW YES.
Is it healthy? WITHOUT A DOUBT. Find out why you haven't lost weight..read
this book to find the answer.

I've read the book and adopted many of its principals. The key in my mind is eating truly whole-grain, high-fiber foods, lots of protein from trim meats, lots of vegetables, and fruits. Just don't get carried away: you need to eat small portions (controlling caloric intake), eat more frequently (if possible, 6 smaller meals a day), and get plenty of exercise.

I should note that I am relatively young (27). I'm probably about 15 pounds overweight but the real issue to me is body fat percentage, which is about 24%! I'm not about to delude myself into thinking I can just sit around at eat the Sugar Busters way and have a material effect on those two body stats I gave. Neither should you.

Doctors and health experts have been telling us for a very long time that moderate eating and getting plenty of exercise should be priorities for healthy living. I think eating many of the recommended foods on Sugar Busters--more importantly, illuminating many forms of sugar as recommended--combined with exercise and moderation is the most sound approach.

We will see. I've been on this plan for about 2 weeks and I've been exercising again after about 6-7 sedentary years getting a professional degree (not medicine). I monitor my body fat closely and my weight. I seem to have lost a pound or two and about .5% body fat. Is it the foods or the exercise? I don't know but I do know I was eating foods devoid of nutritional substance before and now I'm not. I'm willing to stick to the Sugar Busters diet principals just for that reason alone.

Despite some of the nay sayers out there who use big words like pseudo-science, may I say that this eating plan does work.

It is easy to understand what foods you should and shouldn't eat, although one reviewer seemed to think there was some mystery involved; the authors express, in a very clear way why it works (eating less sugar helps your body avoid insulin spikes), and they guide you through a two week menu plan to help you on your way.

I did Atkins some years back and lost 35+ pounds. But, I found Sugar Busters! much more enjoyable in its application.

Take the time to read this book, live by its principles and live better.

Low glycemic eating, as presented in Sugar Busters!, has been the most convenient, and healthiest way I have found to stay slim.

Just reread this book and found it holds up well after 25 years. Twenty-five years! Holy cow! It is a familiar formula that we have often seen in books and movies. A small intrepid and isolated band of humans, some not so intrepid, have to survive against an unknown and seemingly all powerful enemy. The small band becomes smaller as members are sucked up and munched. Oh no! Not him!

Ultimately with spirit, brainstorming and luck they prevail. Much as did another small, intrepid and isolated band of humans in the 1950's movie, The Thing. Basically a carrot from Outer Space played by James Arness, is fried and the world is saved by plucky humans.

I liked his nod to Lovecraft by giving a minor character the surname of Arkham. And using a favorite Lovecraft word, chthonian. Of course Koontz has his favorites, preternatural and chitinous. Wish I had five bucks every time he wrote those words.

Good horror story. Have fun.

You have got to read this book!!!

I don't usually write reviews, but this story impressed me so much that I felt compelled to give it a five star rating here.
This is one of the few books I have ever read that I had trouble putting down before finishing.
This tale turns out to be more Science Fiction Horror based on the possibility that it could actually occur, than on his usual Spirit Realm type horror having the possibility of it ever occuring being totally zilch.

This has got to be one of the best and most imaginative books he has ever written.
























































































This could actually happen.
This is more Science Fiction than Horror.
This is the only book that I have read this year that I had trouble putting down.
Mr. Koontz's subjects usually dealve pretty heavily into the spirit realm and we read them with the knowledge that the chance of anything actually ever occuring as described in the book are pretty much zero.

I had high hopes from the description in the book's jacket, but after a riveting beginning the reveal of the "villain" left me astonished and quite disappointed. The rest of the book was cheesy, bordering on humorous and just not up to Koontz standard. Find a different one.

This is the 4th Koontz book I've read, and I think it is the best Koontz book I've read yet. The monster was very far-fetched, but I liked the characters and much of the story.

I love Dean Koontz and always have, and while this is a great book the narration is TERRIBLE. I'm not sure why they'd choose a narrator that has a lisp, but they did. So now I can't concentrate on the story, because I'm too busy listening to the narrator lisp. I'd recommend reading this book as opposed to listening to it!

Nita and later Kit become wizards after stumbling across wizarding manuals, and swear oaths of loyalty to uphold the sacred task of being a wizard. Now all they have to do is prove their worthiness on an ordeal. Along their way the meet wonderful characters like Tom& Carl who are senior wizards, Fred the white hole of energy, and the lone power.

These books offer a wonderful yet serious take on magic. It's not a "here's a wand, wave it" magic, but one that actually makes sense in it's world. There are risks to using it, prices to be paid, but a reward for doing the right unlike any other. That anchors the plot more then books of the similar like ever have. The use of cosmic forces and the book's wizards, also gave it a wonderful spin.

The plot slides toward predictability sometimes, but it's originality with concepts and scenes redeemed it then.

Diane Duane has created a lovely book to start off a series that explore the cost of using magic, and the wonderful journey that magic will take you on.

If you're target is reads at a middle school leave they'll love it, other wise it will drag on and on. Something not so pleasant for such a short book. The little dance around religion was nice, but they kept undoing their own work. You can't be just misunderstood and utterly evil at the same time. Otherwise a fair read that escapes the Harry Potter genre.

So You Want to Be a Wizard is a book about a girl named Nita, who finds a book, coincidentally called "So You Want to Be a Wizard", which is a manual for becoming a wizard. A bully steals her favorite pen, and shortly thereafter she meets Kit, another wizard in training. They band together to try to get the pen back with a spell from their books, but the spell goes wrong, and they go to a dark, miserable version of the world. When they make it out, they find that they brought back a friend from another universe, a white hole in the form of a floating spark, who they call "Fred". Together, the three go on an adventure together, using magic along the way.

One part of the book reminds me of the old story about the lion and the thorn. A man comes across a lion in the desert. He gets scared, thinking the lion will eat him, but instead the lion groans and lifts up his paw, showing a thorn. The man pulls it out, and later the lion helps him out of trouble to repay the favor. In this book, when Nita, Kit, and Fred are in the evil version of Manhattan where machines are alive, they find a Lotus with a piece of metal stuck in it. Kit pulls it out, and later the Lotus saves them from feral taxi cabs.

The book is well written, but several times it goes on and on about things which aren't very interesting or important to the story. Other than that though, I liked the book. The story was very creative, and unique (aside from the cliché, evil, lord of doom type character found in many fantasy stories). The creatures they encountered were original. All of the characters were quite believable, even the ones like Fred, who aren't even people. It is a very fast paced story (aside from the occasional long, droning descriptions) with lots of action. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy.

This is a magical book, in a magical universe with magical characters and real tears. This is a classic, the sort that I always have a copy of, the sort that I give to my kids.

Nita is a thirteen-year-old who just wants the local bully to leave her alone. She is tired of being chased and of being beaten up, and she is especially tired of having to explain to her family why she doesn't fight back. When she stumbles acros a book called "So You Want to be a Wizard" in her public library, Nita is intrigued. She doesn't quite believe in wizardry, but she checks out the book and decides to give it a try. She will do anything to keep the bully from hurting her again, even cast a spell.

Surprisingly enough, the book seems real. Soon after she discovers it, Nita meets Kit, a boy about her age with some of the same problems. He's had a book on wizardry for awhile and she teams up with him to cast a spell to get their tormenters to leave them alone. But in the midst of the spell, something happens and a new creature appears in Kit and Nita's world.

Now Kit and Nita are trapped in a situation that seems to be way over their heads. They must stick together and work with each other to set things right again. Will they, two novice wizards, be able to fight against a dark power?

I liked Kit and Nita and the way they used their intelligence to get themselves out of bad situations. I also liked Nita's family, and I liked the way the world of magic was developed in this story. However, some parts of this book were pretty draggy; there was a lot of description I wasn't very interested in reading and that weighed the book down.