New Books

Get rich schemes are out of control today. Beyond the schemes, many people seem to use the lottery their own personal retirement plan.

This is not a get rich quick book, but a common sense guide to becoming wealthy over time. Told though thoughts of a "wealthy barber," this book goes back to basics to teach wise saving and investing techniques. It also reinforces ideas that many have learned over time.

There are several powerful concepts to investing in the book. One of the most important concepts is: Pay yourself first. Although simple, it has profound implications on becoming financially secure.

Another powerful concept is how to invest wisely. The Wealthy Barber talks about the good and bad sides of stock market investing, real estate investing and more. The book also exposes some of the wasteful ways of spending money such as buying cash value life insurance as opposed buying term insurance and investing the difference.

I found the book refreshing and insightful. Great for the beginner as well as advanced investor, these ideas should never go out of fashion. I try to apply many of these principles in my own life and encourage others interested in doing the same.

Overall, this is an excellent book to re-discover common sense and learn the basics of saving, investing, patience, and the magic of time to become wealthy. Highly recommended!

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

I really liked this book. I read it as part of a workshop for school. The author made the subject matter easy to understand for everyone, and in a format that was fairly enjoyable. It made me see the importance of good planning.

Pros:
-covers a broad range of topics
-gives great financial tips
-reads like a novel
-concise and quick to read
-is easy to understand
-inspires you to start your planning right away

Con:
-could have written a little more about a couple of the topics

The bad news first: The author had a great idea of putting sound financial advice in a novel format. The characters are boring and one dimensional save for the fact that they are sports fans. The dialogue is forced and fast, but for the purpose of getting to the lessons where the dialogue is disruptive at times.

The good news: If you can forge through the pages of banter and witticisms you will find some things that you'll be glad you found such as a proxy [check it out] and some things about investing and insurance.

The outcome: This story takes place in Michigan, which is also the state who's company's representatives (AmWay, now Quixtar, Inc.) launched a major dealing in the distribution of this book. It appealed to their wide client/distributor base and sent its sales into the stratosphere.

My son picked this book up many years ago. Both he & I read it. It made an imprint on my life, as well as his. I am financially independent & semi retired at age 57.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who doesn't know anything about money. It is really easy to understand and doesn't skip over the basics. If you know the basics you may not find it an interesting read.

This book (Chinese translation) was given to me on the day of my baptism by an old lady in my church. At that time I was a 13 years old boy in a Presbyterian church in Taiwan. The Chinese title of the book was "The Power of Prayer" so I never thought of it as a book written for women. I remember I wept many times reading through that book. At this particular end-of-the-chapter prayer in which I surrender every part of my life to God...I was only a 13 years old boy in 6th grade, yet I pictured all the things I would do and love in the next decades and that I had given them up to God for His purpose.
My life had never been the same.
Today I am a 24 years old and a Master of Divinity student at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. As I am sitting in front of my computer weeping for all the hardships I have been through in my life, the prayer that I made 11 years ago came to me. I opened that 11 years old book and read that chapter again. I realized that my life has indeed been in His hands over all these years and through all the hardships.
In all, God is transforming me into a humble servant for Him, and in this difficult sanctifying process I am learning obedience and trusting in Him alone. This journey all started that night...reading this book.

Our Bible Study group is studying through WHWWP, and it is clear, concise, and completely interesting. We hope to work into a women's prayer group through the study of this book. It's for all stages of Christianity, those who are new to Christ and those who are more mature in their Christian walk. It comes highly recommended.

This is an excellent & easy reading book for those new to prayer or those just wanting some guidance. Men & women will benefit from these methods. It has enhanced my private prayer time as well as family & group prayer time.

I highly recommend this book to all God's children.

I am an avid reader of books and purchased this book for a friend returing to South Africa. I was spellbound by the message the author conveyed and the results of what happens when we pray as women.

This is such a great book! I'm now reading it for the third time and I gain new insights each time. I've purchased copies for friends and family as well.

Katherine Martin has compiled a detailed collection of feminine courage and real-life stories of going beyond one's comfort zone.

An inspirational feminist guide for young girls and women. Wonderful resources to finding a personal or impersonal mentor.

Katherine Martin's collection of stories reminds me that every woman, young and old, has natural talents and abilities to bring about supernatural results. A wonderful book that is sure to inspire readers to help make the world a better place.

There is a heartfelt need among women and girls to celebrate women's history. In her outstanding work, Katherine Martin has put before us a diverse group of role models from which every woman can learn and be proud.

41 women are featured in this thought-provoking book: some have names we recognize immediately from politics, medicine, spirituality & literature. Some for their derring-do & some for their expressions of inspiration. Some have made no headlines as they work with our homeless citizens or live with HIV, poverty or teach welfare mothers. One filmed documentaries in dangerous poltiical places. Another survived imprisonment at the hands of rebel bandits in a little known nation only to go to work, upon release, with refugees in ethnic-cleansing zones. Another stepped out of the shadow of a best-selling husband & learnt to speak her own piece while another is a pilgrim upon her walk toward spiritual knowledge.

Listening to their words, remarking upon Katherine Martin's commentary, I have found myself in good company & would willingly offer any one of these brave women my seat by the fire & a cup of hot tea! A wonderful read & a keeper! Do check out my full review!

In "Women of Courage", Katherine Martin has done a superb job of depicting forty courageous women who have followed their dreams, lived their commitments and made a difference in the world. These women are of all ages and are drawn from all professions: from art to politics; from explorers to activists. Some are famous and high-profile; some are relatively unknown. Each of these women has evinced a remarkable courage, openness and determination not to give up her dream - whether writing about the feminine identity of God, crossing the South Pole, or adopting a baby girl from China.

Too often, as Mary Pipher (the author of "Reviving Ophelia," and one of the women profiled is this book) says, courage has been defined as courage in the face of physical danger, the courage of a superhero or of Rambo. With this book, Ms. Martins suggests that courage comes in many aspects, all of which are important and valuable. I would especially recommend this book as a gift to young women, although both genders and all ages should find it enjoyable.

I had the delight of taking John Main's classes at the Yoga Tree when I lived in the Haight in 2002. I just re-ordered thsi book to read it again, my first on being purchased from the Yoga Tree. His honesty and simple, straight on writing and thoughs are inspiring and make for a great, motivating book.

As a relatively new yogi, I found Darren's book to be a fascinating read of the Eight Limbs. I hadn't a clear understanding of each until I read Darren's words. Not only do I feel a much deeper understanding of each limb, but I am able to deepen my practice. Darren's book was as wonderful as he is a person! Thanks, Darren.

I have tried to read many books about yoga and the eight limbs, but for the most part, I usually get frustrated and feel disconnected and quit. Darren Main has done something very unique. He has woven some of the more difficult concepts (and quotes from those "frustrating" books) and brought it all down to earth. I would recommend this book to anyone trying to deepen their practice, but not quite ready to isolate themselves in to the wilderness. It is a great easy read and really inspiring.

For me, this is one of those books that you cant wait to finish so you begin reading it again. Darren has a unique talent for bringing ancient yogic philosophy into modern day terms. I just attended his 3 day workshop in Denver. I am inspired to say the least.

Darren gives you insight in how one can practice yoga and spirituality while living the modern life. His stories with playfulness and compassion, illustrate how we can stay on the path. You can feel his warmth come through his writing. Urban Mystic is delightful to read and always brings a smile to my face.

You could say that Alice McKinley (not to be confused with Alice MacLeod) has a bit of a cult following at my current place of employ. So maybe it was just a matter of time before I too got sucked in.

A word on the series before I start the review: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor began the Alice series with "The Agonies of Alice" in 1985. In that book Alice is 11 and starting sixth grade. She has just moved and started at a new school. Since then, Naylor has been writing a new Alice book approximately every year which certain librarians have pointed out has strong addictive qualities. Until about 2002, the books ran linearly. Then Naylor did something different, she wrote three prequel novels talking about Alice as a third, fourth, and fifth grader weaving in stories that Alice had previously reflected on in other books in the series. "Starting With Alice" is the first of these prequels (followed by "Alice in Blunderland" and "Lovingly Alice"). I like to read linearly whenever possible so, after reading "The Agony of Alice" and finding out about these prequels I decided to read the series straight through in terms of Alice's age instead of publication date (the series is supposed to end when Alice turns 18 and is already well-grounded in the Young Adult genre at this point).

Now that that's settled, let's talk about the actual book.

Alice, her father, and her older brother have just moved into a new house. Alice's first friend on the block is Donald Sheavers, her weird neighbor. Along the way, Alice makes other, less weird, friends. And also attracts some unwanted attention from one of the street patrol girls. It's not always easy being Alice. I can't say much more about the story without revealing everything. This book is more about Alice's day-to-day life as she tries to fit in and make friends than about any huge event.

Alice narrates in the first person. As a result, the novel is conversational and pretty mellow. Alice is a cool girl, even though she doesn't think so, and her narration is endearing. Naylor strikes the perfect balance here. Alice's voice is consistent with her debut novel, but she does sound younger--without being annonyingly young.

Alice also demonstrates that, although she's only eight, it's never to early to develop a strong character. In the novel Alice makes new friends and stands up to bullies among her other wonderfully positive characteristics. I don't know that children read books about children in search of role models, but if they do "Starting With Alice" definitely offers up a good one.

In terms of when to read this book, I think it would work either way. I enjoyed reading it already knowing about Donald Sheavers and an unfortunate poem written to the milkman. But readers could definitely read this without knowing anything about Alice and enjoy it just as much.

wow how in the world do i start! well i read this book in 3 days. each day i came home when out on the porch and started reading for about 3 to 4 hours!

its about this girl alice her mom dies when she was young and she has a older brother lester.this was the first book i read and now i have read about 5 or 6 alice books now.alice goes through friendship trouble and other stuff too.its a really good book for girls.i also read the boys start the war by:pyills too.i read that in 3 days too.both of these books are amazing!naylor is my favorite author!in boys start the war there is pranks that the boys do to the girls then the girls do something and get them back and its filled w/ laughter!GET IT! if this review helped please click yes under my review
thanks!i reccommend it!cya later!have fun reading!

This book was free with a purchase of my Leopard Build-a-Bear when I was nine or ten. I loved it! I settled down with my misbehaving leopard plush and read the book through. It has to deal with all the fun of being a third grader--embarrassing moments galore, laughs, and mistakes! Hopefully readers connect with Alice as they learn about her bluffs through this school year. I would recommend it to anyone seven through eleven. If your twelve year old isn't too 'old' for this, then they probably will chuckle as they remember the mistakes that they made advancing towards grade four.

--Willow, aged 11

My daughter has read this book over and over again- she loves it!

For me, this was definitly the best book i have read in the alice series so far! VERY and i mean VERY few books make me laugh out loud, but this one did--on nearly every page! i engulfed this wonderful tale of an 8-year old girl and her adventures through the move from chicago to takoma park, Maryland, and how she has to start 3rd grade at a brand new school. i read this in one day! i would sit in my room reading this book, and every few minutes or so, i would laugh so hard i cried. And my parents were wondering what all that racket was about....

I love Amelia's notebook's especially this one because it is actually how girl's think when they move to a new place.

when i was in third grade my teacher read my class this book and i thought it was going to be one of those boring books they usually read. well actually, it was really cool! my sister is kind of like cleo and i am like amelia. it was real funny and i really want to own that book you peoplez should read it.

This is an excellent example of journal writing. It shows how a journal truly looks. Some students may get distracted though.

Amelia's Notebook is a great book. It is about a nine-year-old girl named Amelia. Her mother gave Amelia a notebook to record her thoughts in. In this notebook, Amelia writes all sorts of things like: her family (especially her older sister, Cleo), her friends, and Amelia draws pictures in her notebook. When her family has to move, Amelia writes about her trip and leaving her best friend. I recommend this book to girls ages 9-12. I hope you read it!

This is my all time favorite Amelia book. I especially like her doodles of cafeteria food in her new school and her dumb sister Chloe and her nice friend, Nadia. This is the best book. I've read it again and again. I recommend it to anyone who likes to laugh. Some other diarys which are good are THE DIARY OF A SLAVE GIRL, RUBY JO, THE DIARY OF PATIENCE WHIPPLE, and one boy diary called THE JOURNAL OF LEROY JONES.

I received these cards as a Christmas gift. What beautiful cards! What wonderful energy.

Have found them excellent source when you need a quick answer or more depending on time.

I have been using this cards for over a month, and everyday I feel absolutely amazed of how wonderful they work. I'm pretty new in this new spiritual journey (about 1 year!), and I'm learning to listen to my spiritual guides. So, I figured out that this tool could be another way to communicate with them, and it has been so! The cards have wonderful messages, and my guides and I have been able to create a wonderful way to speak. I fully recommend them to anyone who wants to talk with God, the angels, and the spiritual guides.

I've owned this deck for close to a year and it's the deck I always pick up to do quick and straight to the point readings. The readings I receive when I use this deck are very accurate and resonate well with me and my beliefs.

I seen these cards on the shelf in a bookstore and decided to get them. I am not fond of cards because I have toruble reading them but when it came to these it's totally different. The cards come with a referance book to know what each and every card means. I was most attracted to these cards because your spirit guides do talk to you through these cards and send you messages through these. When I first pulled three cards for my self all three cards related to what is going on in my life at the moment. It was amazing! I did shuffle them so many times and the perfect cards poped right up which means my spirit guide wanted me to know something. This def gets five stars!

Ask Your Guides Oracle Cards: The Direct Link To Your Personal Psychic Support System
I have been reading cards for over 50 years now, starting with a regular Bicycle playing deck before moving on to various tarot and oracle decks. Since I give readings for a living, I'm picky about decks, and this one is on the top of my personal favorite list along with Choquette's "Trust Your Vibes" deck. This deck has been, for single card readings, the best I have ever used for myself. Although I have used it in giving some readings for others, I keep this deck mainly for my own use and refer to the "Trust Your Vibes" deck for clients (as well as several other decks, incl. the Abraham-Hicks "Well-Being" and "Law of Attraction" decks)!
You don't need to be a professional "reader" to use this deck effectively; it comes with an excellent little book in the box with the cards. Shuffle the cards with your question or issue on your mind and then choose a card and look up the meaning. You will be amazed.

Auschwitz by Laurence Rees provides a compelling look at one of the darkest deeds in human history. Including first hand accounts from SS and prisoner alike, the book traces the history of the infamous camp from its origin as a work camp through its evolution into one of the most "productive" death camps. Rees delves into the myriad factors that created Auschwitz and how the camp's mission changed as the war progressed. The history of the "Final Solution" is detailed as well and Rees also describes several of the other camps and how they paralleled or were different from Auschwitz.

I had read accounts of the Holocaust before, but this book was incredibly detailed. The personal accounts were often gut-wrenching, especially some of the SS interviews in which there was often no regret expressed, in fact often the opposite. Not only a history of Auschwitz, but of Jewish persecution, the book provided information I hadn't heard before. There were a few accounts the author concluded the book with in which several Jews returned to their homes, only to find them gone or in someone else's possession. This was a side to the Holocaust I hadn't been consciously aware of, but probably should have guessed at The book was well written and quick paced, the material repugnant, but important to remember. Books like this need to be written and read, so that we never allow these events to simply pass into history or their magnitude diluted with time.

I just visited Auschwitz and Birkenhau prison camps and the book "Auschwitz-A New History" placed all this into perspective. The author writes the book purely from a historical researched point of view rather than from personal point of view. The book is very good reading and an excellent historical document.

I expected this to be a detailed presentation on how Auschwitz worked. Instead it was all over the place, with large portions talking about Sobibor; human interest stories; and how Jews were transported from Denmark, Slovakia, and France. This book should have focused on Auschwitz.

Most history books tend to get bogged down in their own data and dry writing style. What makes "Auschwitz" stand out as one of the most important books ever on the infamous concentration and death camp (there were both in many locations in Nazi Germany) is its readability - accurate but poignant and full of the drama that the subject provided.
Rees offers staggering information concerning the camp - the horrifying conditions for those selected to work and die as soon as they were unable to work any more - others "selected" outright for murder, most commonly by gas and guns, and even the occasional breakouts and shows of kindness, sometimes even by the SS troops who ran the camp.
Combined with the horrors of other concentration and death camps like Bergen-Belsen, the first discovered by British troops, Treblinka, Dachau and smaller camps that are not as well known, over six million Jews, gypsies and political "enemies" died at the hands of Hitler and Heinrich Himmler, easily Hitler's equal for depravity and pure hatred.
It is mind boggling how anybody can deny the events here, or the Holocaust in general. Yet Rees doesn't ignore naysayers who still try to deny such atrocities ever took place. Such denials belong in the same category as those who believe the earth is hollow, the moon visits were faked in a Hollywood studio or, believe it or not, that the Earth does not revolve around the sun!! This was opined by a state representative from, I believe, South Carolina just in the last few weeks.
We must remember too that the hate that leads to genocides is present in all of us and still occurs with regularity. We cannot forget Stalin's murder of 25 million Soviets, Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, Idi Amin, and Rhodesia and Darfur. We still have troops in Kosovo after the "ethnic cleansing" that took place in the mid '90's.
Understanding what we, as humans are capable of, good and evil, gives us a better perspective on our behavior. We see in "Auschwitz" how "normal" people, placed in horrible situations, could turn murderous, callous and numb to what they were forced to do. We also see how some preferred death to killing others. It's not a fun read, but it should be in every high school classroom.

When considering the history of the Holocaust, Auschwitz and extermination are synonymous, as it should be for the 1.1 million people who were killed by the Nazis at this concentration camp alone. Yet as Laurence Rees sets out to show in "Auschwitz: A New History", the camp's beginnings were a far cry from its final stages. Like other concentration camps within the Nazi's network, Auschwitz evolved as Hitler and the SS found themselves further forced to eliminate their self-imposed "Jewish problem".

Rees begins his history with an examination of the camp's beginnings, built by prisoners of war and meant to serve a myriad of research and industrial purposes. Heinrich Himmler and camp commandant Rudolf Hoss discussed various strategies for using the Auschwitz 'Zone of Interest' - as agricultural research center to coal factory, neither seemingly forseeing the infamous nature it would assume as the war progressed and fortunes turned for the Nazi party. Filled with eye-witness accounts and personal interviews, "Auschwitz: A New History" is a chilling testimony of the Nazi's cold-blooded attempt to exterminate an entire people.

Rees' examination, though compact, is complete. He offers not only the eye-witness accounts and hard facts, but is able to debunk the theories that Holocaust deniers and Nazi sympathizers have seized upon. The greatest power this book holds is the testimony of the SS men themselves, men unabashed in their view of what transpired within the camp, men who cannot (to this day) see their actions as anything but right. They will not just deny their actions away by claiming they were "following orders".

It can often be difficult for someone who did not experience the atrocities firsthand to understand what life in Auschwitz was like: it is rightly difficult to grasp something so incomprehensible. Rees uncovers tender histories along with the harsh, moments of joy and love and the reality of daring escapes. By comparing Auschwitz to the other camps within the Nazi system, he is able to offer a complete picture of the greatest crime in history. Yet while his book has the added title of "How Mankind Committed the Ultimate Infamy at [Auschwitz]", the greater infamy lies in the fact that the majority of those responsible for the mass murder went unpunished, free to live the life they had taken away from so many others. And at the conclusion, Rees points to the very real fear that this may one day become just another piece of ancient history: the survivors and eyewitnesses are growing fewer, and the greatest infamy may be that one day Auschwitz is just another word, just another place in the history books. Lest we forget.

Remarkably unflinching - Kimberly Dozier's narrative voice in "Breathing the Fire" describes her road to recovery after being seriously injured on Memorial Day 2006 by a horrific car bombing in Iraq which killed four others, including the CBS cameraman and soundman she worked alongside. In meticulous detail, Dozier dissects the details of the bombing and day-to-day decisions around her medical care and rehabilitation, and punctuates them with her observations and feelings, allowing a rare peek into the mind of someone who has survived an extremely traumatic experience. Even after she learns how to walk again and returns to the newsroom - the author learns that there is no textbook for adjusting to a "new normal" and how to respond to people as they react to seeing a walking miracle. The book sheds light on the experiences of many struggling to recover from the wounds of war. You also learn what drew her to journalism and led her to be a foreign correspondent in a war zone. Readers are introduced to a wealth of supportive people who played pivotal roles in her recovery - from Iowa National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Jeremy Coke who tied the tourniquet on her leg after the bombing that saved her life, to her friends at CBS, innumberable medical and rehab personnel, her parents, and her boyfriend, Pete. Destined to become one of the critical memoirs chronicling the Iraq War.

I started reading this book and could not put it down. It is an inspiring work. Ms. Dozier has given the reader an honest appraisal of her experience to heal herself and heal the many others broken by the ravages of this war. Her story is told in a bipartisan manner, not at all political and should be read by all soldiers and all who care about our soldiers.

We all know war is not pretty and people get injured and killed. This book really brings home the reality of how those catastrophic injuries affect the lives of the injured. It also shows the incredible courage of Kimberly and her family as she recovers from her injuries and made me think we are not doing enough for our injured vets.

I would not have read this book had my husband not seen an interview on TV and bought it for me. What a loss that would have been. Kimberly puts you in Iraq, in the hospitals and therapy plus shares exactly what it was like for her both mentally and emotionally. I am definitely passing this book along to friends.

I could not put this book down. Anyone who wants to understand what it means when they hear or read about bombs going off killing or wounding civilians or soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan should read this book. Even weeks after reading this book, I am not able to get it out of my mind.

Also. the reader gains insight into what reporting from a war zone really means.

Like others reviewers before this, I'm rather surprised how obscure this wonderful, quirky book truly is.

The story revolves around Toseland, a young child who goes to live with Mrs. Oldknow. He goes to live in a big manor in a country estate (think the estate the Pevensies go to live on in Lewis' THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDOBE). He soon realises there's something odd about the house, and is puzzled why Mrs. Oldknow talks about the history and past inhabitents of the place like they were around only yesterday. It turns out the house is inhabited by children of the past, and he learns of an evil gypsey named Green Noah who he ultimately must confront. This final confrontation is rather scary, and Green Noah is one of literature's most memorable villains that I've encountered in a long time.

The book is a rather charming blend of supernatural meets reality, and there is something very delightfully English about the whole affair. The author's Catholocisim is rather apparent n the book, and she fits a lot of different allusions to literature, music, and history.

For those looking for good Children's fiction, this is a powerful story. It's too bad it's not well known.

I found this to be an excellent novel not only for children but also for adults. There is enough intrigue to hold the reader's interest throughout the novel as well as being a lovely, warm family story.

I first read this book when I was a child (in the 60's) and immediately fell in love with it. It has everything I adore in a book; a little magic, a little ghostliness; an English castle; lovely animal companions; characters from times past; people with manners, morals and down to earth values and last but not least--love. I have re-read this book many times and have just finished listening to an audio-version. This is forever a beautiful and enchanting book.

The book I'm going to talk to you about is called; The Children of Green Knowe, by L.M. Boston. I didn't really like this book. It was a little confusing and hard to understand. There just wasn't a clear point. There was not middle, or a climax and resolution. I thought this book was about a mystery or a ghost story, by the cover and the blip from the back. I was very disappointed in the ending, and that it was appoint-less fantasy, that bored me half to death!

The Children of green knowe was about a boy named, Tolly, who was the age of 8-11,whose parents die (they don't say how),so he was sent to live with hisGreat-Grandmother in Penny Soaky. Her house was called Old Knowe.
Three children, Alexander, Toby, and Linnet, died in Tolly's(the boy's name), Great Grandmother's house many centuries ago. They started appearing around the house just days after their death. They played with Tolly, and went on great Adventures. Enjoy one of Granny's stories every 20 pages, and learn about Tolly and Granny's love for the flute andthebirds.

Other reviewers have praised the book. But then, they also liked Harry Potter, and "Series of Unfortunate Events" as well, so that clearly showed me, as a College Prof, now HS dad, that I might not like this book, as the excesses of sardonic humor, death, magic, and evil, are all too prevalent in this day and age, to encourage the reading of fiction to stuff yet MORE garbage into my children's (or my!) head. As it is said, "Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof...".

But Green Knowe is different- perhaps because it was written in a gentler, kinder time. While there is fantasy, and a sense of the blurring of the dimensions (ghosts that are not evil, a world within our world that has connections to the past, and the interpenetration of them all) overall, this work has as much depth as Potter's does for the adult reader, without all the preachiness of 'PC' dogma which has so marred Rowling's later writings, and has influenced all of the film treatments. One really does not need to rehash Shirer's work on WWII in a Children's fantasy novel, which is all Rowling's works have become at the hands of her American editors...

Boston's world is alive- with literature, history, music, and artistry, which Rowling's is not. For adults, the references to the Restoration, Cromwell, Purcell's music, Anglican Church, and British Christmas customs provide a wealth for any HS parent discussing the period 1660-1700. But, as another reviewer noted, she never GOES anywhere- unless just BEING is enough. Her world is one to inhabit, not to holiday through, as if it were an itinerary of sights to check off. The ONE confrontation is scary, and could frighten younger audiences...but a vision of a redeemed world shines through. I was reminded while reading Boston, of Jame's novella, that Britten set to music in the opera, "Turn of the Screw." NOT "cheery" stuff, that!

If I seem ambivalent, it is because, while there is much to recommend in her writing, and the pictures she paints are very vivid, and full of life, the theological issues of the spirit world interacting with the real world, the malevolent curses of a gypsy long dead, and the subtle hints of either a strong genetic lineage, or a nascent reincarnationalism, coupled with clear Christian imagery and pious sentiment (Do ghosts really sing Christmas carols, without malevolent intent?) bothered me.

Is the book magical? oh yes, in many ways. Is it troubling, as say, Wind in the Willows is not? Oh, yes.. in equal measure. Is it a good read? Definitely. But the rest? I'm not sure....