A Books

I have actually had to buy this book twice I read it so many times!! Amazing story of young love and sacrifice! I first bought this when I was 13 (I am now 26), and I just might pull it off the shelf and read it again! I love Lurlene McDaniel's books, but this one is by far my favorite!!

i read this book as a child and i loved it. it made everyone i know who read it cry.if u like lurlene mc daniel, you will love this book it was one of my favorites.

okay i know it's been said a thousand times but thus was a great book. it is so far my favorite lurelene mcdaniel book. It tells the story of Julie and her boyfrien Luke and his struggle with leukimia.i won't spoil the ending but it was a real tear jerker. i reccomend all of her books.

The book is called Don't die,My love.It is a tear jerking story.If one likes romance they will like this story.A good romance always pops out
some people and to some it does not and it always captures people in the moment. This certain romance is a realy, really good one and it really popped out to me.When people die it tears people apart.

This is my second time reading this book and what can I say, I cried both times..I love it!!! One of the BEST books I've ever read!!!It is probably one of the saddest book out there as well. Don't Die, My Love is about Luke and Julie who had been childhood lovers and now is in high school and has a love bigger than anything..Luke is the football star quarterback and is madly in love with Julie and she is madly in love with Luke..One day what seems to be a little bump on the neck turned into a serious illness and soon Luke is put into the hospital. Julie, with nothing to do, but be by his side all the way despite of everything..Their love is so powerful and so sweet..This book is definitely GREAT and SAD, it makes your heart wrench..I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone!! It is one that you won't regret reading!!!
P.S. Don't forget the Kleenex box=]

Excellent story plot for both the young and old.... A story to be passed down from generation to generation

I don't often read books. I think I can say that I've read about as many books as I have fingers. I also can say that this books is so precious to me that I have it in hardcover. On top of that, this is the first review I've ever written.

I'm 29 years old and this by far is and is not a children's book. It's good fantasy for a child's mind, but it is so much more. If you aren't into philosophy, then you will miss so much that this book has to offer. But to each their own.

Being a child of the 80's, I had certainly watched and enjoyed the movie. But the movie totally misses the point of what Michael Ende was trying to convey. And I don't blame Mr. Ende for wanting to have nothing to do with the movie (they snuck his name in in the credits). I hope to see a remake of the movie that actually sticks to the story within my lifetime. Regardless, I have the book.

The message of this book is so powerful. The journey it takes you on is necessary for the end to have its full impact. The way it touches on reality is so phenomenal.

If you want to read about the human journey, this is the book for you. The conclusion brings purpose, not only to the main character, but a reminder to you.

What are we living for? Read and find out.

This book is a childhood favorite and even to this day at the age of 21 I absolutely love this book. The adventure and writing style is absolutely irresistible.

This is perhaps the greatest - certainly one of the most well-known - works of German juvenile literature in the last century. And it is so much more than simply a fantasy adventure, although it certainly doesn't lack in entertainment value.

The book is actually imaginative literature that makes the imagination itself its main subject. It is about the proper handling of one's imagination and how to SAVE the imagination as an essential part of being human. The English reader might not immediately notice this, but the German reader will. In the German original, Fantastica/Fantasia is called "Phantasien," which is derived from the German word for "imagination." Thus, Fantastica could be called "The Realm of One's Imagination."

For a full appreciation of the book, it is important to recognize this. When Bastian, the main character, steals The Neverending Story from an antique book store and starts reading it, he doesn't enter (within the fictitious world of the story) a real place such as Narnia or Hogwarts. Rather, he enters his own imagination and needs to learn to handle his imagination well.

Being an outsider in school, Bastian is tempted to use his imagination in a bad way, namely for egoistical daydreams in which he imagines himself doing whatever he likes and taking revenge on others. Slowly, he learns that this is not the proper way of handling his imagination - that self-absorbed daydreaming is harmful.

So he learns to save his imagination from the threat of "Nothing," which is eating up Fantastica.

The intended parallel isn't hard to find. Michael Ende was a man deeply concerned about the loss of people's imagination in modern culture (about the "nothingness" eating it up), and both his novel "Momo" and "The Neverending Story" deal with this.

Whether you are young or old, whether you intend this book for yourself or your children, it is ideal for growing one's imagination as well as reflecting on its precious realm.

- Jacob Schriftman, Author of The Crack Beneath the Worlds and Other Books

Many reviewers have already given a synopsis of this fantastic story of a boy literally drawn into a book he is reading. So, I wanted to comment on this particular edition.

I was hesitant to spend so much money on a book that has been in print for so long and is readily available in cheap paperback copies. However, this is a beautiful hardcover edition. Collectible quality. The dust jacket has lovely artwork. But, the best aspect is the two color text. The majority of the book is printed in green typeface. Bastion's sections are printed in red typeface. This allows for a smooth, but noticeable, transition between the two stories. I think this makes is easier on younger readers to keep track of what's going on, as well as being visually appealing. The paper feels thicker than in most books, and seems to be high quality. Bright white pages showcase the color text very well.

Fans of "The Princess Bride" would enjoy the story. Book collectors will be happy to add this to their shelf.

I am a huge fan of Robert McCammon and this book is one of the best reasons why. The writing is so engrossing that you can get lost in the story and not even want to find your way out. The characters are all richly drawn and can stand on their own, not just as sounding boards for the main character, Cory, an 11 year old boy. If you have read the reviews this far down you will already know the plot, and all I can add is that if you take a chance and read the book you will be better off for the journey. The beautiful writing will break your heart and make you laugh out loud. What more could you ask for?

i have to wonder about anyone that gives less than four stars for this book. i have been giving copies of this book to friends for years. this i think is hands down the best book of growing up in the south since to kill a mockingbird and that my friends is high praise indeed. i would not hesitate to reccomend this book to anyone, ever! the man can write and the book is absolutely fantastic! treat yourself to a great read and get this book. also like another reviewer stated dan simmons "summer of night" is pretty darn good also! read and enjoy.

First: this should be required reading for every young person in America. McCammon paints a perfect picture of life in the deep south during the 60's. The principles young Corey learns are as true today as they were then. Second: This book represents real life. Sure Corey's lessons came from more dramatic circumstances, but who among us didn't learn the same life lessons in our own fashion. This is one of the finest stories of innocence lost through experience examples I can ever remember reading. Thank you Mr. McCammon! This book IS what a great book should be: a compelling story that encourages us, the reader, an opportunity to drift away to a magic place.

If I was given the choice to read one book before I died, this would be the book. A true classic and should be required reading in every English class across America.

I've always thought a good author creates pure magic with a great story. Robert McCammon does just that with Boy's Life. There's mystery, suspense, humor, horror, spooky things, and just about every sentence will command that you keep reading well past the time you usually go to bed. This author is very gifted and as this was my intro to him, I plan on reading everything else by McCammon I can lay my hands on. Ignore the 'poor man's Stephen King' tags that were placed on him and discover another author who will take you far into a magical realm when you start reading the first page. You won't regret it. Brilliant book!

"I stumbled upon this book in my school library looking for a good book for a book report. I had no idea it was going to be so good! Even though it's fantasy, it is written so well you could almost believe it being real! This book had many mind-boggling ideas included, but that just made the whole plot more interesting! I don't know how anyone could not absolutely love this book! This is almost a monument in human literature."

Wow, this book is exciting and thrilling! If you are interested in adventures, you will love this book. Join Ben, Tom, Lindy, and the Professor as they try to travel to Whangdoodleland.
These children met the professor in an animal zoo and they discuss what animal they would have if they could have something unusual. The professor spoke about the unique Whangdoodle, and the children seem to be interested. However, the professor kept it a secret about how he knew about the Whangdoodle. On Halloween, Lindy, Ben and Tom went to a "haunted house," but to their surprise, the professor owned the creepy house. The children started visiting the professor, who began teaching them how to get to Whangdoodleland, an imaginary place where imagined creatures roam free, including the Whangdoodle! It took many tries, but they used their scrappy caps and imagination to succeeed. If you would like to meet some imaginary creatures, like the Whiffle Bird, read this book!
Some of the themes, or lessons we learned, were not to prejudge others, that your imagination is a really important thing, that you should always believe in yourself, and that you should never give up even if you feel greedy, selfish, or weak. A big theme is that genetics and cloning are difficult and controversial. If you want to learn more about these lessons, you have to read The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles!

I first discovered this book while working in a bookstore about 20 years ago. We had one dusty hardcover edition and employees were allowed to borrow hardcovers so long as we were careful to keep them in salable condition. I was intrigued by the flap description and began to read. Two hours later and by the end of the book I caught my breath and wanted more. I bought it because I couldn't stand the thought of not having it in my library. And then I ordered two more for the bookstore. Whenever anyone came in looking for "just the right book for a gift" I lauded it as "a book that will be the one they will never forget and will love forever". Over and over I would have customers come back to thank me for recommending "The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles" because it turned out to be the Most Favorite Gift of the child receiving the book. Quite often they would buy another copy for themselves or another child. If you don't have this book in your library, you should. In fact, you might want to buy two. One to keep, one to loan. You will treasure it in your heart for the rest of your days.

Last year, my daughter read this book and came home saying it was the best book she had ever read. She recommended it to me. At first, I was a little bit skeptical. I thought it was just a little fairytale for children, but I was wrong. My daughter began learning and sharing new and healthy lessons with me that she had learned from the book. Now, I can't wait to read it.

I read this to my 7yo son and 8yo daughter. I enjoyed it as much as they did!

Our pediatrician recommended this book during my daughter's 10-year-old regular check up. My daughter has been reading it without much prompting. It's a good overall book for this age range. It is what I expected.

I bought this for my just 10 year old daugther who is very curious about growing up and becoming a woman. I think it would be a great resource for more mature girls but I found some of it unappropriate for my daughter. There is a LOT of detail in the book . . . with anything from how to shave your legs and cleanliness to how to use pads and tampons. Some of the diagrams are graphic. I would not call myself a conservative person. I will hold on to this until my daughter is mature enough for all of its content. I would like to see a version of this book that leaves out some of the more advanced topics that a daughter should learn from her mother.

This book is for my 8 1/2 year old daughter who is beginning to ask questions about growing up and why modesty is important and such. Physically she's still too young for the book, but mentally she's got questions and this was an easy way to guide our conversations.

I am glad it covers the physical self-care that comes with puberty without getting into the sex talk. I felt comfortable letting her take it to read by herself and then we looked at some of the pages together to answer questions. She is having fun being more "grown up" by washing her face each day, and brushing her teeth more carefully.

Next up: Care & Keeping of Your Emotions.

Good info good pictures to back everything up and I even got this book right after "the sex talks" came. I came use and me and my friends laughed at the illistrations in 4th grade=]

I bought this book for my 9 year old daughter after we had "The Talk". She reads it every night and loves it. We sometimes read it together, but if not, I always ask her if she has questions. It is perfect for her age. I'm really glad I bought this book for her. It's just one more way we share time on such very important subjects. She thanked me today for helping her to become a lady. I felt so proud.

If you can read then read this book. After that, find somebody who can't read and read it to them. It's that good.

I only wish I could read the original text. The simplicity and frankness, the blend of respect for the individual and appreciation of spirituality--this is the most astonishing work I have ever read.

i read this book when i was 16 and was amazed and enlightened by its' simple wisdom. 12 years later, and with a bit more life experience, i still am in awe of the truth contained in the pages of this book.

I was introduced to Gibran by my husband on my birthday years ago. Since that time, Gibran has helped me in many of lifes trying times. My favorite passage is by and far his writings on Children. How many times during the 'teenage' years of raising my son, did I turn to his reminders on how to be a good 'bow' I don't know, but it was invaluable help. I give this book to graduates, friends who have everything, friends who have nothing after a trauma in their lives, there really isn't any opporunity that I pass up to give this book as a gift with a message included that I hope that they can find as much in this book as I have. Don't try to read it as a 'book',it's able to be read from any point and any topic that strikes your fancy. And by all means go back and re-read. You will find new and fuller meanings with every reading.

This book is simply amazing, whenever I pick it up to read a certain passage I always find something profound and ingenious. I'm completely impressed by the unique style of writing that Kahlil Gibran has its like he has a realistic point of view and understanding of human relationships and nature.
Kahlil Gibran was a Lebanese writer and philosopher who lived in New York in the early twentieth century and many of his poems have been translated into more than twenty languages, he took many years to write The Prophet which resulted in this excellent and very insightful book, it was written and based on the extent of his knowledge. The book is written as a series of passages and the format is that of a prophet answering questions in life and he gives out words of wisdom on all subjects like love, marriage, work, children etc. I have read this book a few years ago and I was completely amazed and astonished by his style of writing, he definetely has a certain style which is a bit hard to describe I think that other reviewers have done a better job of describing this style.

In my opinion his work seems very spiritual and it seems more relevant it's not too preachy (I hate that stuff cause I'm not religious) and it was very philosophical and insightful, this aspect is what really got me interested in this book. I later found out that some of the words were very inspiring especially from Joy and Sorrow, it answers many questions in life since it has a deeper meaning and almost transcends human subjectivity it was also quite enjoyable to read.
I know that it might sound heavy but its not. If your the type of person that has an open mind and likes reading some insightful and highly poetic stuff then you should definetely check it out, heres a short excerpt from Joy and Sorrow:

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

This book was so bad that I actually keep it on the shelf so that I wont forget the author's name or the writing style. Nothing seemed coherent in this novel and the dialogue was awful.

I loved this book, even my mom liked it! We liked it so much we had to read the next one. This duet is awesome. I would recommend this book and its sequel to anyone interested in books about a girl who sets out to save her country and in doing so finds something totally different.- OOPS!!- I said to much, you will have to read it to get more info!!!

A great fantasy story of Meliara. She swears to her father on his deathbed that she will reclaim the kingdom, which was once her mothers, and she will reclaim it from the greedy King Galdran. This leads her village to a war against the king and will threaten the lives of the people and their homes. This is a great book for fantasy lovers and people who love stories about court life.

I have to agree with the editorial reviews above; this book is somewhat predictable and the plot is a bit trite (when a male & a female character bicker throughout the whole book, we all know what's going to happen at the end, right?). However, the characters are well-developed and the world is richly detailed, with a unique culture and customs.

As a 20-year-old English major and a connoisseur of young adult lit (it being the only section of the university library I can find my way around in), I'd recommend it for fans of YA girl-oriented fantasy. Anyone who likes Tamora Pierce, Donna Jo Napoli, Gail Carson Levine, or Robin McKinley should be satisfied with this series.

While this book has more action, I preferred the sequel, Court Duel. It's a bit hard to find unless you know what you're looking for - it's very hard to find on its own, but can be found bundled with Crown Duel in one volume, confusingly titled Crown Duel. It appears Amazon has finally cleverly changed it to "Crown Duel (Originally Published as the Two Books Crown Duel and Court Duel) (Firebird) (Paperback)," which clarifies things. It provides a satisfying conclusion to the story.

I love this book. Mel is strong, but believable. You can really relate with her even if you don't always think she is doing the right thing. I could not put this book down, and i did not want to!It is very well written and by the end of the book you feel like you have known Mel your whole life. As if you were there when all these things happened. Great,Great,Great Book!

Court Duel the sequel, is just as good!

The mark of the lions series is probably one of the best series i have ever read. I couldnt put the books down! I was constantly in my bedroom reading for hours. The books have everything in them from spiritual to action to romance; and Reading about Hadassah's faith for the lord just makes your faith grow even stronger and to see how she faces such terrible promblems in wich i couldnt even imagine , she still clings to her faith .


This is truly an amzeing book. I would recommend it to anybody.

I absolutely love these books. I can't believe how good the writing is, how amazing the love story is, and how much I love the characters. They are an easy read that will suck you in and never let you go. They are my favorite books of all time and such an inspiration.

I could probably write a book about this series of books! In fact, my book club just finished talking about the second one last night! These are great Christian fiction literature. Rivers ties the characters together so well, and really does NOT make the characters too "fictionalized". You can really see the struggles that they go through, it could be real.
I really love all three of the books... probably my favorite Francine Rivers books.

This series is amazing! Could not put them down. No one would be disappointed with this read, for sure! Francine Rivers takes a fictional story and makes it tug at your own Faith! Reminds you of God's amazing Grace and Love. Worth the read!

This is one of the best Christian Trilogies I have ever read!!!

In order, the books are:
(1)"A Voice in the Wind"
(2)"An Echo in the Darkness"
(3)"As Sure As The Dawn"

If you are looking into these books for the 1st time, my advice is... stop everything and go get them right now! I ABSOLUTELY INHALED all 3 books in record time. (I'm talking, so intense that I was up till 3 & 4:00 in the morning more than a few times!) I can not say enough about how great these book are. I am so sad that I am finished with them! All three books are so well written and I feel like I know the characters personally.

I feel like I can read about Hadassah to no end. I LOVED her character development and you can truly FEEL her love for Marcus and you can FEEL her pain through her trials. I borrowed these books from my friend, and I now plan to go out and buy a set for me to own, re-read & share. They were just too good not to pass around and recommend to others. In the last book, I was surprised that I became just as attached to the relationship of Atretes and Rizpah as I did with Hadassah and Marcus.

Francine Rivers is now one of my new favorite authors, and I am on my way to read Redeeming Love, which I have heard SO MUCH ABOUT!

God's Blessings to Miss Rivers- I look forward to many more of her books!

This excerpt does a great job revealing the realities of war. It provides the perspective of the ones on the front line and does a wonderful job displaying the uncertainties that go along with warfare; however, it was a bit hard to follow at times, and it seemed a little "jumpy". Overall, great job!

I was an undergrad theatre major at the University of Iowa when Peter was a grad playwriting student there. His plays were entertaining, often darkly funny, grounded in a strong sense of narrative, and most of all intensely focused on ethical concerns... in particular the fundamental question of how to be a decent person when faced with untenable choices. It seems appropriate that he would turn his attention to the current Iraq war, which unfortunately provides many ways to explore that question on both a macro and micro scale.

I've only read the excerpt provided online here, but I was very engaged by the story and curious to find out where the war would take these fictional people. I found myself hoping that the character of Ryder finds a way to retain his humanity in a dehumanizing situation. More than that, I hope that Peter's work gets the chance to reach the wider audience it deserves.

I want to read more, to find out where Peter Ullian's deconstruction of situational ethics comes to rest, or if it does at all. Regarding comments about gratuitous sex and violence in Ullian's narrative: first of all, there isn't really any sex. The male characters think about sex constantly, which is what most men do in real life. As for the violence - exploding arms, dead kids - that sort of insanity happens every day in Iraq. It happened every day in Vietnam. I'm sure it's happening all over the world as we speak... and plenty of times there aren't even any American troops involved.

Okay, here's my armchair review:

With incongruous detachment, Ullian depicts an existence where "real" is a trainwreck of people and processes that don't belong together, and "ideal" is a faraway abstraction that propels the world like an invisible puppetmaster. Soldiers allegedly sent to free the Iraqi people from a tyrant train to do so by watching porn and listening to death-metal (apparently, that's typical in reality - during the Gulf War, Slayer was used as a soundtrack for Marine training maneuvers in Saudi Arabia). The only in-depth discussion among the characters is about country music. Cross-cultural understanding? Forget it. Would any of these guys bother to learn Arabic or read about the Five Pillars of Islam? I don't think so. The people they've been told they're freeing are "impassive, inscrutable" (from narrative). In a situation requiring immediate action, the unit leader lets his mind wander into random associations and memories, to the point where the "embedded" female journalist accompanying the unit has to render medical attention to another soldier.

I want to know where Ullian is going with this. The absurdity of existence? The ultimate subjectivity of moral/ethical frameworks? The pointlessness of nationalism? Is there a political agenda? Is the message here that everyone just bad and clueless? I'm curious now.

My first of two beefs with Ullian's prose is that his characters' dialogue is a little too Pynchon-esque: affected overemphasis and a deliberate lack of contractions. My second beef is that the characters' memories are less, well, personal than they could be. If Ullian is trying to convey his views on politics and society through the recollections of characters, and sometimes it's a little stilted.

Overall, I was intrigued and I want to read the rest of it.

Ullian has a talent for balancing the absurd and the tragic, to grimly wry effect. His cast of warriors, juiced on action movies, porn and video games, would seem like some out-there postmodern creation if they weren't so obviously reflective of the America they came from. Instead, the author has created a narrative of soldiers as products of the American culture they have come to spread. Ullian's portrait is ambivalent-- there's no denying the dark edge of his soldiers' sex-and-violence media mikvah in preparation for battle, but the men themselves remain reflective, human and sympathetic.

To Repair the World by P. Ullian opens with an argument of over what qualifies as 'real' country music. This debate introduces two of a host of characters, several with 'classics' names. To have a Ulysses, a Cassandra and Achilles on one mission together screams doom.

The settings, while as realistic as I can imagine them being for never having been in a war zone, fought for validation with the comical nature of the dialog. This wasn't funny ha-ha stuff, but really bordered on forced soudning. It read, in fact, very much like the interplays of Joseph Heller's 'Catch-22'. If the author means to update that story for contemporary times, more than 'insert Iraq detail here' needs to occur. The vibe of 'Catch-22' may be timeless, but it was a commentary and reflection on the times it was produced not just a darkly-humorous accounting of the absurdities of war life.

As I read through the excerpt it felt as if the author was inconsistent with portraying this story as serious or satirized. When I felt it leaning one way, it'd go back the other. This really hit home when Luther's arm was blown off and Curtis struggles with whether to stop the vehicle to tie a tourniquet. Curtis then goes on this drawn out political and moral thought line, while Luther is bleeding out. This was just too awkward given the uncommitted tone to that point.

Overall, though the author clearly is a talented writer, his attempt at putting his own modern stamp on a familiar tale just didn't sit right with me.