New York Books

This woman went on an amazing adventure and she should always be commended for that. I've been planning a long-distance trek by horse for a long time and so bought this looking for pointers and inside info, which there is.

BUT, although she completed an awe-inspiring trek, the writing isn't that great. Lots of abrupt paragraph endings and clunky sentences. It sort of reads like a sketchy abbreviated journal. Just wish she had hired someone to edit and clean it up a bit for her, it would have flowed better.

A friend suggested I get this book and I was sceptical at first as I have read only a very few, true-adventure stories that excited me. Crying with Cockroaches however had me mesmerized from the very start. I purchased the book in January and have read it cover to cover, twice already.

The voice of the author is so clear and her honesty, humour and optimism transparent on every page. All I can say is get this book. It is an easy read, well-written, great photographs and an excellent example of what we all can accomplish with determination and a strong will. The author is truly likeable and also humble, despite having undertaken this magnificent journey on her own but for two equine companions. She did not even know much about riding but her love for horses and really all animals and her perseverance to make this happen, made her triumph at the end. You'll laugh and cry, be exhilarated and moved as you are swept through the Americas on this epic adventure.

It's not a "horsey book" but just really a five-star read to be enjoyed by all ages.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

At the point this review was submitted (September 2008) all prior reviews were 5 out of 5. Now in all fairness to Marianne, Tolstoy, Austen, Euripides et. al. I will take the dastardly step of submitting a score more reflective of this book's place in the pantheon of world literature rather than a tribute to an amazing woman. Then again, that being the case I might be considered too cerebral and not connected emotionally to the adventure that Marianne experienced. But I truly enjoyed the book and read it from cover to cover. Thus, I arrived at my score of 4 out of 5 for the pure entertainment value of her book plus the bonus credit of providing a meaningful cultural and historic cross reference to the classic by Aimé Tschiffely.

A close read of the two books provides the reader with an opportunity to compare and contrast the world of the past with that of the present. But it's more interesting than a simple fact check analysis. What one finds is that the lives of the people involved are surprisingly constant over time. Generations pass and there remain invariable struggles and regional quirks that surprise the reader for not just their strangeness but also for the constancy and so often the sadness of their lives. Tschiffely spared none with his pithy and by today's standards politically incorrect assessments of the people and the lives he mixed with in his travels. His adventures simply cannot be replicated since the times are so different, yet in some ways there are remarkable similarities. One can clearly discern his preferences for the various residents of South America. Marianne notes that an Argentine acquaintance remarked that should she ever come across a humble Argentine or a smiling Bolivian she should immediately call and report back. For those who have travelled to these places the remark is easily understood and it demonstrates the degree to which she was able to access the humor and insight of the locals in her travels. Throughout her trip it is this type of one on one interaction that creates the greatest impact on the reader. Certainly the sights, smells and sounds along the way are memorable, but these can only be adequately captured in person or by the greatest of writers. She never seeks to do that and rightly so. Rather she seeks to explore the people. Tschiffely also had an interest in the people he met, but his interest was more analytical than emotional. In some ways his book tends to be more humorous for this very reason; and certainly he wrote to entertain. Tschiffely who like Marianne carried firearms (though he had much more than her small handgun) also delved into aspects that don't appear in her book. His excursions to the opium dens of Peru were especially memorable and throughout his story we can clearly perceive an interest if not attraction to the more beautiful women he encountered. Both Marianne and Tschiffely spent years away from home on their travels and it's likely that loneliness might lead to the need for more intimate human contact. The times and discretion may have caused him to exclude the details of his possible romantic encounters with women on his route. Today we live in a much more expressive time; nevertheless, Marianne seems to noticeably exclude any mention of romance from her travelogue. Certainly, this might have made the story more interesting, if only to address how she dealt with or combated these desires over the years on the road.

Comparisons of the two could be made on so many issues. Certainly Tschiffely was a horseman who understood his animals, the land the languages and people he encountered (at least for the most part). Marianne's boldness exceeded her abilities in so many areas. A complete lack of language skill, negligible equestrian competency, and general lack of preparedness did not bode well for her trip. Had she failed and perished she might be remembered as a bookend to Christopher McCandless who although on a different quest, entered the wilds equally unprepared. A huge difference was that Marianne was interested in engaging the world and the people in it rather than running from it. This is real adventure travel, not reality TV. There's no backup crew following her and providing assistance just when life looks to be getting the best of her. This is all-in poker and it's simply beyond what 99.9999% of society will willingly take on themselves. You'll undoubtedly enjoy her story and you might wish that she had better prepared since that would have made it different. I don't say better because the experience is relative to one's own life and expectations. But in the end she entertains us and appears to better understand herself. Congratulations to her, my only concern now is what are her days like without the adventure. Is it sad?

"Crying with Cockroaches" provides an interesting insight into an extraordinary journey of both personal and geographical achievements. Du Toit documents her trek with two horses in an honestly written account. The beautiful pictures help bring the story and the terrain of the Americas to life. Animal welfare is a predominant point and seems even more relevant as the relationship and co-dependency between Du Toit and her two Criollos develops. The story also uncovers the good and bad of human behaviour in a trip so unpredictable and dependent on the offerings of others. The most appealing aspect of this book however is in my opinion, the determination and perseverance of the writer who was focused in the pursuit of her dream. This is inspirational in view to the challenges she faced in a seemingly impossible journey. These messages will no doubt, be encouraging and motivational to any reader of this book. A highly recommended read to any adventure seeker or those in face of a challenge!

When you meet Marianne Du Toit she doesn't look crazy. She seems like a perfectly normal, charming and inteligent young woman. And then she starts telling you stories about her trip, and you start to wonder...

Then you read her compelling narative and you have to wonder how this woman summoned the courage to take on such an incredible journey. She claims she had no idea how tough it would be and that seems as good an explanation as any. Thankfully, nobody suggested she climb Mt. Everest on roller skates.

Her book is a wonderful tale of what the human spirit can accomplish with a healthy dose of determination and a little grass roots help along the way. Du Toit uses her equine adventure to enthrall and enlighten.

This was the best book I have ever read!!! This teaches you a lot of things about the environment and how you can take care of the earth. I also think it's cool that there are puzzles in the book. The beautiful illustrations amaze me! I think everyone should read this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Maddie (Bainbridge Island, WA)

As a 4th grade teacher, I am always looking for books to incorporate into my Earth Day unit. This is my new favorite.

Gaia Girls Enter the Earth tells the story of Elizabeth, a 4th grade girl who lives on a family farm that is in danger of being taken over by a factory farm operation to raise and slaughter 7,000 pigs a day. Elizabeth learns of powers she has to help save her own and surrounding farms, while readers learn about the environmental impact of factory farms. The message is powerful and not preachy, and is embedded in a story that will make you long to start growing your own garden and appreciate the natural world around you. The story is wonderfully vivid and suspenseful.

As a 30 year old I was hooked by this book geared towards a younger crowd. I love reading good YA and this is up there on my list. It wasn't preachy and had some great characters who were well rounded. I am totally hooked and can't wait to read the rest of the series. :)

Thank you thank you thank you to the author, illustrator and publishers of this book!!! My daughter is 10 years old and absolutely loves it. She loves to read but can be very picky about books! We happened to be at the Boston Museum of Science when the author was there and my daughter had to have a signed copy after talking to Lee Welles for a few minutes. We are very eco-concerned and I am glad to see a book that really relates to this generations problems and the fact that they really do need to start getting involved and getting there friends involved in fixing the situation NOW!!! SO again THANK YOU!!! I truly believe that this book may help a lot of young adults step up and make a difference!

My daughter (age 11) just loved the book. She felt it was very suspenseful and can't wait til she reads the next one. In this book, Harmony Farms creates a town disagreement in Avon by changing everyone's opinions on farming. Elizabeth's special powers help her when she needs them the most. Great book and keep up the good work, Lee Welles!

Quite possibly the most charming cat stories ever written. Jenny the cat is filled with wonderful emotions that everyone can relate to...nervous about making new friends, afraid that she's not good enough, she proves herself through all sorts of wonderful adventures. Highly recommended!

Friends gave us this one for a birthday present for our six year old. Have since ordered the whole series!
Nice to have children friendly, wholesome story...our children can't hear it enough!

I loved these stories when I was a little girl and its been a joy to pass them along to my own daughters. I love how Jenny realizes her own worth even though she feels so small and shy sometimes. Friends, loyalty, and fun adventures makes these stories timeless

I love Jenny Linsky. I love her gentle nature, her kindness, her shyness. I loved her from the moment I opened the book and read the first paragraphs to my (then) 5 year old daughter. I loved her as I made red pom-poms to tie onto a red scarf so my daughter could dress up as Jenny for Halloween. But five years later, she's my second favorite Linsky. My most favorite is my three year old daughter, Zoe Linsky, whom her big sister lovingly named after the nicest person she could think of, a little black cat named Jenny.

I am so glad they re-released this book--my mother was thrilled to receieve it. Seller sent the book in great condition and it arrived very quickly.

French cooking is not my real favorite and I have not really tried related recipes been to a French restaurant recently. But I have the 1979 version of this book. I had not tried this book for along time from my collection.( infact I think my wife bought it). Nevertheless while looking around for hamburger recipes, I found one in it that was quite good. 9.4/10 which included placing a fried egg and anchovies on top of the burger. Different. He also shows you how to set up his kitchen pantry. His recipes also cover Fish, soup , eggs, shellfish, beef , pasta and much more. His information about different recipes give you an insight into not only the recipes So I will have to try more. The recipes are not that difficult to make and there are quite a few to try. You might want to try some French recipes as I started to do .

I bless the day when I checked this book out (over and over again) from the library where I attended college. As a newlywed attending graduate school I was too poor and too time deprived to cook and eat. This book saved my life! Not knowing a thing about cooking... I happened upon perfection as a guide! Now, almost forty years later I am an accomplished cook and avid entertainer and it's all due to the foundation this book provided! I still think Jacques Pepin is the best celebrity chef on TV today.

I just ordered the newer copy so I could give it to my niece as she embarks on her own cooking start. It is what I call a foundation book. There are five or six of these that never leave my kitchen no matter what new cook book may try to abscond their place in the hierarchy of my inventory. A must have jumping-off place for any new cook and a "OMG why did it take me so long to get it" book for an established cook.

I used to cut out these recipes from the N.Y.Times when they were published years ago. It's great having them altogether and the majority are quite excellent.

I've owned The 60-Minute Gourmet paperback edition since 1979.
(the book is literally falling apart).

I've used this book since I was a complete novice and didn't have a clue how to boil an egg.
26 years later, I consider myself to be an excellent cook.... But I still reach for this cookbook. Why? because it contains excellent recipies.

This book is incredibly easy for a novice to understand and it will give a "seasoned" cook instructions how to prepare any dish in a new delicious way.
I simply can't praise this cookbook enough.
Another excellent cookbook is The Doubleday Cookbook by Jean Anderson & Elane Hanna.
Actually, this book should be called the cookbook bible.
Owning both these books will easily turn bad cook into a master chef!

Quite simply, Pierre Franey taught me how to cook - that is - how to combine ingredients that together transcend the sum of the parts. I came across Pierre Franey's column in the NY Times in the early nineties, and the recipes were a revelation. The techniques I learned from the recipes in this book, his column in the NY Times, and the follow up book, I use repeatedly. Unlike many other recipes, I continued cooking Franey's recipes after my kids were born. As youngsters, they would eat many of the things I prepared from this book, including the Poulet Saute Beausejour (chicken with wine and herbs) and the basic saute of fish. Franey also raised my standards of what to expect from a cook book! Very rarely does anything from his cookbooks fail to be delicious when I cook it.

Don Mattingly is my all-time favorite Yankee, and I was glad to see that he got his own chapter intro in this book that offers a unique look at the history of the Bronx Bombers. All of the Hit Man's best numbers can be found in this book.

I'm the guy with a signed copy of the OU book, and by signed I mean by all three authors and Coach Stoops himself. So the only disappointment I had about the Yankees book is that, well, when I got it there were no signatures -- but I have to say, each book in this series seems to be getting better and better, and this Yankees book was fantastic. I'm an old man, to tell you the truth, and I remember when Mantle and Murcer and guys like Bench (yeah he was a Red but so what) came through here -- this part of the country bleeds for the Sooners, but we love our Yankees too. I have read a lot of books on both OU and the Yankees -- easily of the ones out right now these are my favorite, and I highly recommend anyone looking for holiday gifts to OU or Yankees fans to consider these items.

I live in Athens and so those of us who are Yankees fans (of which I am one) usually keep it to ourselves. The past couple of years weren't so bad, with Atlanta really struggling -- but when the Braves were in the mix every year it was tough wearing pinstripes around here. With that said, I love this book. I love the unique format, of having 1,000 stories that correlate to 1,000 numbers -- usually in an obvious way, but often in some quirky or creative or mindboggling fashion as well. And I esepcially loved the chapter on Thurman Munson -- RIP Captain -- you are still loved and missed today. This is not your typically history book -- this is a fun sports history book. I pretty much guarantee you that if you have an obscure Yankee player in mind, you will still find him in this book -- and without question you will be absorbed by the amount of knowledge that went into telling the stories of the many legends: Ruth, Gehrig, Lazzeri, DiMaggio, Mantle, and on and on they go . . . I love this book. And I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read a great baseball book, Yankees or otherwise.

Great book. I liked all the stories. From Travis (age 10)

This is a great book for sports fans of all ages. The stories and facts were written for adult Yankees fans, but the text was easy enough for my 10 year old son to enjoy. S. Wheeler

This book proclaims that Yankee fans are "numbers junkies" because they boast 26 World Series titles and a host of other prominent numbers that are important not only to NYY history, but to baseball history in general -- and I happen to agree with the authors. I'm a baseball fan who tolerates NY most of the time, but I found this book to be very entertaining and the numbers, stories, and profiles of Yankee legends in this book were well worth reading. If you are not a Yankees fan you still have to admit that the Yankees' history and the history of baseball cannot be separated, which makes this book a must-read for anyone who likes to talk baseball stats and numbers.

I just finished reading this book, and i could not put it down! This is one amazing book, i highly recommend this to anyone who wants to hear a true account of a courageous undercover detective who infiltrated the mob. All true, amazing work by Rick and the NYPD. A must have! "It's in there" everything Rick was involved in, is in there!

An unbelievable yet true story that kept me engaged, too engaged for my wife on our cruise! I highly recommend for vacation reading.

What a pageturner!!!! I was very afraid for Mr. Rick Cowan throughout this whole book. Man, what guts!!! Why isn't this guy being heralded all over the place like Joe Pistone? No disrespect to Pistone but he infiltrated a fractured and disorganized crime family(Bonnano). Cowan got in with the class of the mob, the Genovese and Gambino families. I could not put this book down. I always heard that New Yorkers were being fleeced by the "garbage gangsters" but I never fully understood how. Or why couldn't our government stop it? This book breaks it down. This one is in my top 10. Fantastic!!!!

I'm of two minds on this book. The history of the mob's control of the trash and paper recycling industries in and around NYC are fascinating. But a great deal of the book consists of verbatim transcripts from wires worn by Cowan in his interminable dealings with the mob, many of which are repetitive. Only for the real lovers of mob stories.

Over the course of the past few years, my love of reading books about the mafia went dormant. When I arrived upon a copy of "Takedown" in a used book store, my interest was revitalized. The story in "Takedown" is unbelievable not because it is untrue, but because it is unbelievable how many times Rick Cowan avoided certain death. Though it is unbelievable at times, it is a true story.

By chance, Rick Cowan was in the right palce at the right time. This young detective made the mafia believe he was a cousin in a garbage hauling family. Through this false pretense, he was able to infiltrate the Gambino Fanily to its highest level. Such a task was thought to be out of reach to the NYPD. The stories Cowan tells of his interactions with the mafia have a level of authenticity to them. You can almost hear the stereotypical accents being spoken as you read. I question whether some of the stories were exaggerated to make the book a more exciting read. Surely any man faced with some of these circumstances would crack or slip.

Cowan even discusses the strain three years uncover put on his family. This is an aspect of the investigation that receives little attention in similar books. I also enjoyed the epilogue in which Cowan discusses whether he felt remorse for "ratting out" the friends he made in three years.

Reading a book about the real life mafia is much more exciting than any movie or TV show available. While there certainly must be some fabrications present in the book, none were so glaring to take away from the story. I would recommend this book to any person with an interest organized crime.

definitely one of the best spoken word poetry books out there. a lot of mind blowing subjects. great read especially for 20 somethings up. not that suitable for young adults as this does have some pretty grpahic stubjects such as beastiality

I have had this book for ten years now, i read it once a year at least and am finding i get something new out of it each time i read it. I just bought this as a gift for a friend of mine who is big on poetry slams ( i didn't have the nerve to loan him mine). It is in my top five of my all time favorite books (and i own thousands of books!!) It pulls at my heart strings, makes me cry, and makes me laugh out loud.

I have read this book over and over and over. Every time I read this collection, the more I like it. Very unique. I recomend anyone who loves poetry and likes something different, to pick up this book.

"Verses that Hurt" is one of the best collections of poetry I've read in a long time. Ideal for people who don't really like poetry, because it's not structured and very free-flowing, and people who DO like poetry as well, because hey, we love free-flowing expression too.

Some of the poems describe sweet happiness, and some capture the essence of hate and anger. Sexuality is a constant theme in some of them. One of my favorites is "Please Master" by Allen Ginsberg. To me, this captures the very essence of sexuality. And not just gay-male sexuality, I'm talkin' the whole picture, ALL sexuality, even though the terms use seem to allude to the first.

Definitely a good read.

A few years ago a voice mail was set up in New York City, and poets were called in every month to read a new poem everyday onto the message. Then the public could call in everyday, listen to the poem, and respond after the beep with anything they had to say. The poems were recorded on an album, and the best printed in this wonderful book.

The book came out in 1997. The phone number they have listed in the introduction is either wrong or changed, I called it twice and kept getting the voice mail to someone named "Kika." The poets in this book are: Penny Arcade, Tish Benson, Nicole Blackman, David Cameron, Xavier Cavazos, Todd Colby, Matthew Courtney, M. Doughty, Kathy Ebel, Anne Elliot, Janice Erlbaum, Allen Ginsberg, John Giorno, John S. Hall, Bob Holman, Christian X. Hunter, Shannon Ketch, Bobby Miller, Wanda Phipps, Lee Renaldo, Shut-Up Shelley, Hal Sirowitz, Sparrow, Spiro, Edwin Torres, and Emily XYZ. All the poets get at least three poems, and very good portraits by photographer Christian Lantry. The poems are short enough that you can probably get through this in one sitting, or read a poet a day.

Penny Arcade starts the book off with a bang, using some really incredible verse. Tish Benson is next with poems that read like lazy blues songs, but filled with so much detail and activity, you can almost hear Billie Holliday gruffly whispering this in your ear. Nicole Blackman and her section is also incredible as she seems to speak for so many women who cannot find their own voice except hers. David Cameron's writing, while readable, is a little bland, like a freshman creative writing class. Despite his obvious emotion, I felt he was holding back on his own writing. Xavier Cavazos's section is slightly better, except for an entire poem that slams Rush Limbaugh. It may have been very clever when written and read, but it just give conservatives like Limbaugh more ammunition to go after art that they do not believe in. Why not a poem about Parkay hawking corporate monkey Al Franken, who had so much success slamming Limbaugh? Or Dennis Miller, whose rants against everybody was quickly dashed by asinine long distance ads. Nothing worse than a sell out. Todd Colby does better work with paragraph poems than traditional verse poetry. Matthew Courtney reads like poorly written Allen Ginsberg, full of "shocking" imagery and without a point. M. Doughty's work is scary and involving, and not your traditional stuff. Kathy Ebel left me with no response. I read it, I was done, and I was not terribly moved. Anne Elliot reads like poorly written Matthew Courtney. Janice Erlbaum is wonderful, filling a sonnet and sestina with modern situations, turning antiquity on its ear. Ginsberg is Ginsberg. Being a little familiar with his work, I expected to see poems about gay sex, followed by verses about a frog. Ginsberg is so Ginsberg. John Giorno's two poems are shocking, about more gay sex, and taking drugs. He seems to be shocking without TRYING to be shocking. I guess you could say his shock is natural.

John S. Hall also seems to be writing without getting to the heart of his point. His verse is so much posturing. Bob Holman is a bit of a bore, with quite a few poems here. Again, none stuck with me. Christian X. Hunter takes me into his world and it was hard to get out. He is probably my favorite poet here. Shannon Ketch reads like John S. Hall. Bobby Miller's very personal poems made me nostalgic for a time I could never experience. He writes about his first homosexual experience, and protesting Vietnam, so vividly, you swear you are there. Wanda Phipps opens with an angry poem, and never lets up. She is not threatening, but she has a lot to say. Lee Ranaldo also did not do it for me, his listed words seemed glossy and packaged. Shut-Up Shelley is fun because she is so different. Her changing font size on the page just screams at you, yet her photograph by Lantry shows her so whimsically. She is my second favorite poet here. Hal Sirowitz is my third favorite poet here, writing deeply personal poems about everyday things that had an obvious effect on his life. He is a blast to read aloud. Sparrow is weird. His first poem, involving possible sex with a cow, is a hoot, and his possible middle names for Bill Gates is a riot. Spiro is also very funny, especially his opening poem about heroin addiction. Edwin Torres also had me scratching my head for a while after I read him. His poetry is not hard, just inaccessible, and I was not interested enough in what he was saying to dig deeper. Emily XYZ reads like good Edwin Torres.

The 26 poets here are quite a variety, and I recommend this tome to any poetry lovers. I also repeat my mantra to read more poetry and keep buying those little chapbooks you might see in used bookstores or at flea markets. There is always time in your day to smarten up.

This does contain a lot of profanity, drug references, and sexual content, so giving it to your five year old to practice reading may not be a good idea.

I read this book simply because my boyfriend said he couldn't put it down. I was mesmorized by the bravery these men went gave out to fight the fire. After every page, I kept thinking to myself, "This is TRUE." I have a stronger respect for the brave fire fighters aroundt he world. Not only is this book about the fire and the fighters themselves, but it also depicts the family's devistation after the fact. Every page brought tears to my eyes. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially family's of fire fighters. Didn't want to put it down.

I didn't think a non-fiction book about the personal and professional lives of 'everyday' people would be so well composed. Sure, I expected to read about drama and bravery and tragedy, but Sean Flynn writes with well-tuned prose and a well-honed ear for the people and the town he reveals to the reader. He has done a great service in getting to the heart and soul of the protagonists and their loved ones. He does so without exaggeration, false bravado, or romanticism. The heroic fire fighters are shown three-dimensionally, and there isn't a phony note or word in the book. And like the true heroes in history, they are far from perfect human beings. In fact, the profound issue suggested in this book is that they are willing to risk their lives because they have flaws and have felt personal pain. How else could one feel so obligated to save utter strangers at the risk of their own lives and to have such an intuitive sense of how far your body and soul can go when they're up against a formidable foe. George Orwell said that it is the job of a human being not to be a saint. If my life was at risk, and given the choice who would try and save me, I'd pick these guys over any saint, preacher, minister, or holy man.

Note to who ever wrote the Publishers Weekly review. Get a map. The second largest city in New England is Worcester Mass. not WorcHester. Those of us born and raised there pronounce the city to rhyme with mister.

All that I can say is that Sean Flynn wrote this book about a horrific true event in such a way that I feel as if I lost my friends in the blaze. I can only imagine how the true friends of these 6 men felt and continue to feel each time they see a family member of one of their perished brothers. I'm not a crying man, but I cried at some points in this story b/c they hit so close to home for one, but for two you get so wrapped up in the lives of these men that you feel the stinging pain of realizing they have died. It's a sad story, that I actually remembered hearing about after i read the book, but it's also very motivating to anybody that has thought of becoming a FF. It's almost as its a test of your heart to be a FF. Like the beginning of initiation (hazing) to become a part of a fraternity. I know two other people that read it, that upon completion(one wasn't even able to finish) withdrew from the FF applicant process in which we all signed up together. Weeds out the weak...well kinda. :o)

Either way you look at it, this is good reading. I finished in in 4 days and I was continually fussed at for 3 of those days by my 9 month pregnant girlfriend b/c I wasn't giving her the attention she wanted. Now she's reading it and i'm not getting any attention. Go fig!

Buy the book! BTW...my addiction i speak of in my title just means my addiction to FF books.

I really enjoyed this book. My dad was a firefighter and I thought the writer portrayed the firefighters with a tough realisim without taking away their compassion for what they do. The families stories seemed to convey not only the day to day fears that all firefighters families have but, a small sense of what they went through when the unimaginable happened to them. Overall a great read by a writer who seemed to care about the subject.

Providing a moral lesson and a combination of warmth and passion, Broadway Barks will certainly entertain those children possessing a love for animals. Simplicity and humor intertwine to amuse children as they page through the jungle of dazzling collage work, capturing the lively scene in such a way that children adore. Kids will roar with laughter and have a swingin' good time while rooting for the lonely little pup that strives to overcome a dog-eat-dog world in pursuit of real love.

Visit www.readingjungle.com for the full review!

A Unique Bunny

I have always been a huge fan of Ms. Peters. This book is great for broadway and dog lovers! I especially loved Kramer's Song-It makes me and my niece cry. Awesome!

Kramer's Song" from Broadway Barks sung and wrote by Bernadette Peters

Good night my pal
Good night my friend
Tomorrow I'll see you again
Close your eyes, dont worry
There's no need to be in a hurry
Sleep deep my friend
I am here

You are my dream
You are my wish
Tonight you'll sleep in total bliss
I will send you moonbeams
I will send you angels in your dreams
Sleep deep my friend
I am here

I always dreamed I'd have a friend
Someone to love me who would send
away my bad dreams, away my fears
Then suddenly you appeared
Goodnight old soul goodnight my dear
I am smilng now from ear to ear
I will always love you
I'll always protect you
You are in my heart forever
Always in our dreams together
and tomorrow when you wake up
I'll be here

Good little story for young children, and nice artwork with an illustrated Bernadette and Mary Tyler Moore easily recognizable. But what really puts this over is the CD where you get Bernadette reading the story (it's always fun to hear her voice, which leads me to...) and A NEW SONG by her!!! Plus the money you pay goes to BB itself, which is a very nice and admirable plus.

A wonderful story! I did not realize that the CD was going to have the story read by the author....a nice surprise!

A wonderful story and the enclosed CD with the lovely song Ms. Peters wrote and performs is an added bonus. I love the fact that all proceeds go for adoption of animals. I bought four of these books for family/friends.

I think War of the Worlds accurately portrays how humans would react to hostile aliens arriving onto Earth. It paints interesting pictures while using science to back up the story. It is a true science fiction novel. The only downside to the story that I see was that the name of the narrator was never revealed to the audience, referring to himself as "I." It leaves us to question just exactly who he was. I also think that some of the events that happened in the book could have been composed of more detail so that the reader could fully understand what was happening. I admit that sometimes I was lost about what had just occurred, but skimming through the pages before I was caught up.

Other than that minor detail the book was expertly composed of facts and fiction, all strung together by a touch of reality. The story has a good plot, and the conclusion at the end was surprising. I had wondered from the beginning what might kill these seemingly invincible creatures, and to find out that disease killed them, it was entertaining to say at the least. The H.G. Wells's use of language stunned me, as his smooth words made the story seem less boring and more original. The story also shows us how alike we are to the monsters that tried to take over the planet. It shows us that we kill things for hunger and amusement. We take over land which once belonged to the animals and turn it into cities and towns, not taking into account how many of the precious animals' homes we have destroyed.

With the amount of effort that Wells has put into this book, I am interested to read his other science-fiction books, like The Time Machine and The Invisible Man.

It was fun reading the original, after seeing both movies. Lots of details, inner thoughts not possible otherwise. Very thought provoking. Loved the Gory illustrations.

Ellie Lezak
October 9, 2007

This book was no doubt the best science fiction book I have ever read. H.G. Wells does a amazing job recreating a book that has been done by many authors, into the type of story that has you on the edge of your seat, never wanting to put the book down because you just have to know what comes next. In this book, the main character who stays anonymous by name is a normal simple man, not any really any different from any of the other people in this time, but there is one difference, this man happens to know, how to survive. What to look for and what to stay away from, who to trust and who has to go. And how to rebuild something that was destroyed, so that there was nothing left. One normal night but one twist, what seems to be smoke in space coming from mars? For ten days, at the same time every night, the same smoke appears. And exactly 10 days after he 1st say the smoke a green light heading right for earth not to far from his house. Days. The day after the asteroid land no one really pays attention to it but it is mainly the noises inside that attract them. Even if they new what the future had in store for them. There would probably be no preventing fate from doing what was going to be done. Battling the fate of everyone around him this man manages to live, and start over again just like everyone else.

In H.G. Wells's writing, he does a amazing job to capture the seen, and make it so the reader can actually imagine what the situation would be like. And put them self's in the moment. There were only 2 things that I did not like about this book. At some points it would just go on, about the same thing, just a list of different things, and than it would happen again. And the only other thing that I didn't like was the ending. I've always thought that the ending of a book should be fun and exiting, and wrap up the whole story. But the ending to this book wasn't the best it explained a few things and than there was one food scene and it ended. But over all I would rate this book 4 stars out of five and I defiantly recommend it for all ages.

First thing I have to say is what great scientific imagination for a book written in the late 1800's. I mean they didnt even have cars yet and Mr. Wells is writing about partical beams and biological warfare. 2nd is I was actually surprised at how much the recent movie used from the book. I didnt care for the movie as much as I did the original version but it was much more faithful to the book than I'd ever imagined. If you your a fan of either of the two movies or just want a very good sci fi book to read I highly recommend this book. The language at times is dated being written at the turn of the century but it's still a quick and easy read.

I read this book because I was curious how close or incredibly far the movie had stuck to it. I was quite surprised to discover, that while the movie's main character couldn't be more different, the plot is almost identical in spirit. Spielberg didn't create all those different modes of suspense, he just channelled them from Wells. First we have the discovery, then the initial panic, then the mob mentality, then hydrophobic, claustrophobic, and xenophobic situations that are chilling. Granted all these circumstances are updated into the 21st century. I was impressed by how many details were included (the redweed particularly).

The book is better than the movie in two aspects. First off, the scene in the cellar with the main character and curate. I've talked to a lot of people who felt that the execution of Tim Robbin's character in the movie was not just and unnecesary. The book handles this much better-"with one last touch of humanity"

The ending of the movie is absurd. You don't care that the son is still alive because he annoyed us so much with his whining. Then you are let down when there is no true reconciliation between the broken family. In the book (PLEASE STOP HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT YET) you barely meet the wife, and deep down, you are just sure she is still alive, but their reunion does not seem fabricated, it seems somehow eerie and almost gives you chills.