Classics Books
Books-Under-Review-->Kids and Teens-->School Time-->English-->Literature-->Classics-->17
Related Subjects: Carroll, Lewis Alcott, Louisa May Andersen, Hans Christian Baum, L. Frank Montgomery, Lucy Maud Shakespeare, William Twain, Mark
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Related Subjects: Carroll, Lewis Alcott, Louisa May Andersen, Hans Christian Baum, L. Frank Montgomery, Lucy Maud Shakespeare, William Twain, Mark
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Classics Books sorted by
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The Spider and the Fly
Published in Hardcover by Simon & Schuster Childrens Books (2002-10-07)
List price: $20.65
New price: $19.99
Used price: $0.51
Used price: $0.51
Average review score: 

great story for your daughter
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-03
Review Date: 2008-06-03
This book is great! The illustrations are so impressive that even though they only black and white your children will love them. We spend time on each page just looking over the illustration each time we find something we didn't see before. And the story, WOW! This story is a must for every little girl. The story teaches young girls not to be niave and believe every little flattering word someone is telling you. In the end all that sweet talk may just be fooling you so someone else can get what they want, like the spider getting the fly. I will be reading this book more often to my daughters as they get older!
a GREAT book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-20
Review Date: 2008-04-20
This style of the book reminds me of Edward Gorey. The illustrations are fabulous, if the matter is a bit dark. I have bought this for numerous friends after finding it at a unique bookstore in Portland, OR. Everyone who reads it ends up loving it.
A+ book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-19
Review Date: 2008-04-19
wonderful story with a twist at the end. Wonderful illustrations. Don't in an old spooky way.
Great!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-17
Review Date: 2008-04-17
This book is amazing. We LOVE it! I love reading it to my daughter, because its a very easy read with a great cadence, and its fun to pour over the illustration to find something new every time. Tony DiTerlizzi is an awesome illustrator, and I am looking forward to seeing more stories illustrated by him.
Excellent Product & Prompt Delivery
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-15
Review Date: 2007-09-15
This item was exactly as described in the item description. It was in the original packaging and is in excellent condition. I am very satisfied and I highly recommend this seller and product to everyone. This is an excellent book by an excellent author!

SPRING SNOW (UNESCO Collection of Representative Works. Japanese Series)
Published in Hardcover by Knopf (1972-06-12)
List price: $13.95
Used price: $5.39
Collectible price: $16.50
Collectible price: $16.50
Average review score: 

Romeo and Juliet, Japanese version
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-03
Review Date: 2008-09-03
I really enjoyed this book, the story is the classical tragic love story, but set up in Japan, and written through a Japanese point of view. So the surroundings or the landscapes became part of the story, the description of the moods of the characters are beautifully portrayed in the nature that surrounds them.... I thought it was lovely.
A lot of people wrote on these reviews that the translated version misses out a lot of things, but this always happens when translating, and as I can't read Japanese, I was happy with being able to read it in English!
A lot of people wrote on these reviews that the translated version misses out a lot of things, but this always happens when translating, and as I can't read Japanese, I was happy with being able to read it in English!
Spring Snow
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-08
Review Date: 2007-12-08
Japan. 1912. Japanese society is divided, or at least complex. Still with most of it's body and soul in the ancient tradition of the East, but with ever increasing impulses towards the "Western culture" (In the unsemitically correct reality, we of the "West" have infinitely more in common with the traditional culture of the East than we do the current world-wide Weimar Republic, but oh well). Mishima, the author, was more or less a Japanese representative of the "conservative revolution", and appears to have been quite well read. His life reminds me in many ways of Corneliu Codreanu and Julius Evola. His well-known dramatic ritual suicide as a protest against the betrayal of tradition in Japan, and the Japanese submission to American rule, followed him and his radical "right wing" organization's (The Shield Society) failure to arouse the Japanese Defence Force into rebelling.
The book is the first in a tetralogy, and follows Kiyoaki Matsugae, a young student from a family of the lower nobility in his relationship with Satoko Ayakura, the daughter of one of the 28 families of the higher nobility, her being the daughter of a count. The book in many ways actually reminded me of the excellent "Victoria" by Knut Hamsun, with the constant back and forth in the interaction between the characters, sometimes they love each other dearly, and at other times torment each other. Such is the nature of difficult relationships, I guess! The book paints a very vivid picture of the end of a noble era, and the translation I read was excellently done. The moral teaching of this period, and it's sometimes less noble effects is excellently portrayed.
Through certain misunderstandings, Satoko ends up being future wife of one of the royal princes, and Kiyoaki is driven to despair. Long story short, as all the books in the series, there is no happy ending, but that is basically the ending of all our lives. This is a book I highly recommend, and apart from a few minor flaws, it is all in all an excellent tale, and I look very much forward to reading the rest of the series. 4,5 stars.
(I read a different edition)
The book is the first in a tetralogy, and follows Kiyoaki Matsugae, a young student from a family of the lower nobility in his relationship with Satoko Ayakura, the daughter of one of the 28 families of the higher nobility, her being the daughter of a count. The book in many ways actually reminded me of the excellent "Victoria" by Knut Hamsun, with the constant back and forth in the interaction between the characters, sometimes they love each other dearly, and at other times torment each other. Such is the nature of difficult relationships, I guess! The book paints a very vivid picture of the end of a noble era, and the translation I read was excellently done. The moral teaching of this period, and it's sometimes less noble effects is excellently portrayed.
Through certain misunderstandings, Satoko ends up being future wife of one of the royal princes, and Kiyoaki is driven to despair. Long story short, as all the books in the series, there is no happy ending, but that is basically the ending of all our lives. This is a book I highly recommend, and apart from a few minor flaws, it is all in all an excellent tale, and I look very much forward to reading the rest of the series. 4,5 stars.
(I read a different edition)
Boring and maudlin
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-08
Review Date: 2007-10-08
Maybe it was a bad transalation. Maybe I could not relate as a westerner to an old Japanese story, but I really did not enjoy this book. It was maudlin and unbelievable. Story was boring. Character development was terrible and it was poorly written/transalated. I recommend Murakami's Norwegian Wood for those who want to read books by Japanese authors.
Mishima's Masterpiece: Forbidden Love and the Reincarnation of Kiyoaki Matsugae.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-09
Review Date: 2008-08-09
Yukio Mishima (The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea) is the fascinating subject of two recent DVD releases Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters - Criterion Collection and Patriotism - Criterion Collection. His 1966 novel, Spring Snow (Haru no Yuki), is the first in his "Sea of Fertility tetralogy," which also includes Runaway Horses (1969), The Temple of Dawn (1970), and The Decay of the Angel (1971). (Mishima committed ritual suicide on the day he completed the final book in his tetralogy, November 25, 1970.) Considered to be his masteriece, Mishima's tetralogy follows the successive reincarnations of Kiyoaki Matsugae (1895-1914). Set in the early years of the Taishô period (1912 to 1926), Spring Snow tells the story of a two-year relationship involving forbidden love between Kiyoaki, the 18-year-old son of an aristocratic family, and Satoko Ayakura, the 20-year-old daughter of an aristocratic family. Kiyoaki's friend, Shigekuni Honda, a law student, observes the events set forth in the novel. After Kiyoaki and Satoko meet under a bad omen: a dead black dog at the top of a high waterfall, Satoko asks Kiyoaki, "Kiyo, what would you do if all of a sudden I weren't here any more?"--a question which vexes Kiyoaki throughout much of the novel. Satoko is under instruction that she should not lose her virginity before being touched by any bridegroom chosen for her. After experiencing their first kiss together on a rickshaw ride in the snow, Satoko and Kiyoaki exchange love letters and eventually make love, before Satoko accepts the marriage proposal of another man, Prince Harunori. Meanwhile, Kiyoaki has a series of prophetic dreams before he dies at the age of 20. The novel was adapted into a 2005 film of the same name starring Satoshi Tsumabuki as Kiyoaki, Yûko Takeuchi as Satoko, and Sosuke Takaoka as Shigekuni Honda. Spring Snow attests to the rare genius of Yukio Mishima.
G. Merritt
G. Merritt
the beauty and destructive power of all-consuming love
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-22
Review Date: 2007-07-22
Mishima's Spring Snow is a coming-of-age tale for nouveau riche Kiyoaki, whose naive childhood crush on the more mature Satoko grows into something much more powerful, beautiful and, ultimately, destructive. Kiyoaki's failings are human and familiar; acting on rash impulses, immaturity, a failure to realise what he wants till he has lost it. Mishima's characterisation is finely drawn and accurate. The scheming Tadeshina turns out to have her own secret heartbreak, enervated Ayakura lacks guile but not luck, the ancient loyalties of the Abessess make her a formidable eminence grice. The characters are at once individually drawn and representative of a unique and fascinating era of flux and change in Japan, as ancient modes of behaviour gave way to modernising forces. Mishima's novel is both of its time and timeless. A true masterpiece.

The Wheel of Time: Eye of the World, the Great Hunt, Dragon Reborn, Shadow Rising, Fires of Heaven, Lord of Chaos, Crown of Swords, and Path of Daggers
Published in Hardcover by Tor Books (2000-01)
List price:
Average review score: 

The best Fantasy Series ever Written
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-24
Review Date: 2000-05-24
The World of Wheel of Time is the most complex one I have ever read in a fantasy series.Jordan analyzes it's culture of his world,making it to come alive in our eyes as we turn the pages.His work is perhaps the best ever written in fantasy.
Excellent
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-25
Review Date: 2000-03-25
In terms of plot complexity, this series is astounding. Thousands of plots combine to form the pattern of the age which in turn forms the age lace: the pattern of ages. A thousand pages pass without a single significant event. Of course, many would consider this a flaw, though personally I see it as the novels' best characteristic. I hope Robert Jordan never finishes the series. The only flaw is that it lacks a true ethos to present to the reader; I wholly disaprove of the simple good v. evil aspect of the work. Nonetheless, Jordan does understand that are not inherently good or evil, demonstrating this with the humanity of many of the forsaken (I suppose I should call them the Chosen). Twisted humanity in many, but humanity nonetheless. The best aspect of the novels is the complexity and personality description of the characters, especially women. Jordan vividly portrays the characters' thoughts, often angering the reader with their ignorance, while creating a true sense of reality in a fantasy world. In short, there are few flaws and many strong points, well worthy of a five star rating. Anyone know who Tel Janin is :)
Do you have je'etoh? Do you know what that even means..?
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-21
Review Date: 2000-03-21
All I have to say is incredible. The races are excellent. I used to run many a campaign in D&D when I was a kid.. and I tell you what.. I have only to wish to have developed such a fantasy world. I became engulfed and whisked away to the world of Amerylin ..Prophecy and a Dragon reborn..
I can only tell you that if you do not beware Aiel.. you are certain to meet death ...
And that the color of a robe means nothing as to if their loyal to the side of good... and then how do you determine good?
Should the Dragon Reborn be stilled..?
SO much so many ..
THE WHEEL WEAVES AS THE WHEEL WILLS
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-31
Review Date: 2000-05-31
Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time series is a compelling selection of stories to read. Never before in fantasy have I found myself beginning to think, talk, and act like the characters in the stories, and now I find myself melding reality with WOT. There are many round characters, all changing, making new discoveries, and being very human. Anyone who doesn't read this amazing series is missing out on a lot.
An adventurous break from reality
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-25
Review Date: 2000-04-25
I was involved in a motor cycle accident that put me in a bed for 2 months, and all I had to do was read. I have never been a fan of fantasy, because the stories were all simple and were not REAL enough. A friend of mine gave me the first book and at first I hesitated, but it would have been the worst mistake in my life if I had not read it. Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series astonished me. I never thought I could find any book so captivating, and I have read a lot of books. He has brought the fantasy world a book that to my belief will never be surpassed. In the book several characters are pulled from their everyday live and thrown into the worst possible senario, in which they find out who they really are while trying to stay alive and seal the prison of the dark one. This story has so many twists and turns that it is almost impossible to believe. I found myself thinking that I was Rand and when that book was over wondering were his world ended and reality began. I feel as though I have been through all the hardships with them and they are all my friends. I do not want this story to end. After book 9 and 10 I hope that atleast he takes on another series, with the same characters so I don't have to loose all that I already have with Rand, Perrin, Matt, Egwenn, ect. Words cannot even begin to describe this wonderful story that you must read.

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones (Shambhala Pocket Classics)
Published in Paperback by Shambhala (1994-11-22)
List price: $7.00
Used price: $2.00
Average review score: 

Too bad about the Shambhala edition...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-07
Review Date: 2008-03-07
I've read a number of books on Zen, which technically can't be written about. Zen Flesh, Zen Bones by Reps and Senzaki is a good example of the pithy stories and poems that teachers use to "point toward the moon" while helping students not to confuse the finger for the moon.
The selection of material and translation are very good.
I have the Shambhala edition. It is a shame that one of the few good-quality translations in Shambhala's Pocket Classics series is out of print. If you can find one you should buy it, because it really can be read again and again and it really does fit in your pocket.
For a different sort of introduction to Zen I recommend D. T. Suzuki's Introduction to Zen Buddhism (An Introduction to Zen Buddhism).
For a fuller treatment it is hard to beat D.T. Suzuki's Essays (Essays in Zen Buddhism: First Series).
The selection of material and translation are very good.
I have the Shambhala edition. It is a shame that one of the few good-quality translations in Shambhala's Pocket Classics series is out of print. If you can find one you should buy it, because it really can be read again and again and it really does fit in your pocket.
For a different sort of introduction to Zen I recommend D. T. Suzuki's Introduction to Zen Buddhism (An Introduction to Zen Buddhism).
For a fuller treatment it is hard to beat D.T. Suzuki's Essays (Essays in Zen Buddhism: First Series).
Flesh of my flesh and Zen of my bones!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-21
Review Date: 2008-02-21
What strikes me as I read many of the reviews here is that most of the reviewers have a truly fond feeling for this book and that many have also read and re-read it over the years. Both of these experiences are true for me too!
"Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" is a collection of Zen tales that touch the heart and mind in the true spirit of Zen.
It was the first book that I ever read about Zen and it is invaluable still. I purchased my first copy in my early college days and over 20 years later I bought this book again, because I had lost my taped up and worn out copy in a move. I simply had to have this book once more, which in a strange way is an Attachment, yet not... which sounds like some half-baked Koan or humorous Zen twist like those that are so wonderful in the stories in this book. ( "What is the sound of one page turning?" )
If I had to choose one book on Zen it would be this one.
There are many, many fine books that delve deeper into the subject of Zen, but "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" has the friendly essence and simplicity that is Zen. If you had no other introduction to Zen, somehow I think what is in this book would suffice.
The title of the book is no lie, it is telling the truth!
Peace
"Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" is a collection of Zen tales that touch the heart and mind in the true spirit of Zen.
It was the first book that I ever read about Zen and it is invaluable still. I purchased my first copy in my early college days and over 20 years later I bought this book again, because I had lost my taped up and worn out copy in a move. I simply had to have this book once more, which in a strange way is an Attachment, yet not... which sounds like some half-baked Koan or humorous Zen twist like those that are so wonderful in the stories in this book. ( "What is the sound of one page turning?" )
If I had to choose one book on Zen it would be this one.
There are many, many fine books that delve deeper into the subject of Zen, but "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" has the friendly essence and simplicity that is Zen. If you had no other introduction to Zen, somehow I think what is in this book would suffice.
The title of the book is no lie, it is telling the truth!
Peace
simply the best book for beginners and advanced alike
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-05
Review Date: 2008-01-05
a great starter book. The parables are easy to read and simple to understand. I first read the book in larger size format 10 years ago. Today, I still appreciate every content of it. The best feature of the pocket size format is that you can carry them anywhere or leave it beside your bed when a bit of zen is needed in your life. I don't know why Shambhala Publishing stopped printing them.
The Marrow of Zen
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-22
Review Date: 2008-06-22
This is one of the earliest Zen books available in English. ZEN FLESH, ZEN BONES is not "about" Zen, it "is" Zen. An omnibus of beloved Zen tales ("101 Zen Stories"), the classic ten "Oxherding Pictures," and the "Mumonkan" ("The Gateless Gate") a collection of those ironic, irreverent, and seemingly illogical Zen riddles known as Koans, this book is an excellent, one might say, indispensable, part of any Zen practitioner's library, whether beginner or Dharma Heir.
It's an excellent translation. Zen writings are essentially paradoxical, filled with sense impressions, and sometimes arcane (Koans descended from Chinese law cases of the Confucian period and are still called Cases today). ZEN FLESH, ZEN BONES will not have you tearing your hair out trying to decipher the language of the Zen Masters (given the number of shaven-headed monks, you have to wonder), but it still gives the reader a great sense of the fluidity of thought that marks the material.
There are other books out there that "explain" Zen, or "teach" Zen, but ZEN FLESH, ZEN BONES is the essence of the immediate experience that IS Zen. The recorded version, read by Peter Coyote, is a wonderful listening experience.
Sit with it.
It's an excellent translation. Zen writings are essentially paradoxical, filled with sense impressions, and sometimes arcane (Koans descended from Chinese law cases of the Confucian period and are still called Cases today). ZEN FLESH, ZEN BONES will not have you tearing your hair out trying to decipher the language of the Zen Masters (given the number of shaven-headed monks, you have to wonder), but it still gives the reader a great sense of the fluidity of thought that marks the material.
There are other books out there that "explain" Zen, or "teach" Zen, but ZEN FLESH, ZEN BONES is the essence of the immediate experience that IS Zen. The recorded version, read by Peter Coyote, is a wonderful listening experience.
Sit with it.
Zen seeds, Zen Spores
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-06
Review Date: 2008-08-06
It was over 40 years ago that I acquired this slim little book in an esoteric bookstore. I knew nothing about Buddhism or the Zen tradition at that time, and my own ignorance intrigued me. Little did I suspect that what I was holding in my hands was a peculiar, living virus--and I was about to become it's Host, in a lifelong symbiotic journey. Zen bones are Jellyfish bones. In the artifacts of Japanese culture, it is easy to recognize the influence of Zen, wherever you find it--yet, it may not be as ubiquitous as a Westerner might imagine.
Zen is not the only tradition by which essential memes are transmitted through the use of stories. The Sufis do it, too. The use of stories to impart life lessons and wisdom is as old as language--it's just that, aside from the discipline of Zazen, there are no Zen scriptures, per se, even though there are certainly traditions, and literature, handed down, from one virulent Zen Bastard to another. There simply is no useful analogy, in terms of scriptural literature, with say, the Upanishads, or the Koran, or the Dead Sea Scrolls.
It is difficult to boil Zen down into a succinct set of rules or principles. That is sort of like bringing a delicate sea creature up from great depths. It tends to fall apart. Lost in translation. That is why a collection of little stories is so valuable to the cultivation of intuition. The lessons of the Zen tradition must be transmitted directly, or they must be intuited. This is how the Zen virus become activated.
The thing is, the intuition of Zen realization is a slippery slope of no return. Once the soul is transformed by Zen, there is no way out of it. I call it the Lobster Pot syndrome. You go in, but you can't come back. So what's the problem with that, you ask? I don't know about Zen practice in Japan, but to practice mindfulness in America is to become a Stranger in a Strange Land. Experiential considerations like Suchness and law of interdependent causation, or the poise of dynamic equilibrium, have never really assimilated into modern American culture. So--be prepared to join a frame of reference with a tiny minority. You don't care. So be it.
Sitting Zazen is good--but this whole 8 hrs a day Enlightenment or die approach is something I frankly feel is too extreme. It is not the middle way. It may be good for beginners who are attempting to condition the mind and develop good mental habits--but if Zen is anything it is adaptable. It is pragmatic. Like tea in a cup, when you shatter the cup there is no tea, there is no cup, but there is a big freaking mess to clean up. Learn to steal moments of stillness in the flow of life wherever you can--at stop lights, in the waiting room, in the checkout line. It is best to learn to practice meditation through action. Turn every waking minute into the practice of mindful attendence. Watch your breath. In the book there is a story called Every Minute Zen that addresses this point. If one loses their center, and their sense of self awareness, whether participating in the marketplace, or on the battlefield of life, then one's 'attainment' is very meager. For one's aim to be true, you have to rise above the occasion of drama, wherever, and whenever, it presents itself. Everything is an opportunity, for a quickening of awareness, after all. Zen is Nature's Hammer. Be the Nail. Only don't know. Be.
Zen is not the only tradition by which essential memes are transmitted through the use of stories. The Sufis do it, too. The use of stories to impart life lessons and wisdom is as old as language--it's just that, aside from the discipline of Zazen, there are no Zen scriptures, per se, even though there are certainly traditions, and literature, handed down, from one virulent Zen Bastard to another. There simply is no useful analogy, in terms of scriptural literature, with say, the Upanishads, or the Koran, or the Dead Sea Scrolls.
It is difficult to boil Zen down into a succinct set of rules or principles. That is sort of like bringing a delicate sea creature up from great depths. It tends to fall apart. Lost in translation. That is why a collection of little stories is so valuable to the cultivation of intuition. The lessons of the Zen tradition must be transmitted directly, or they must be intuited. This is how the Zen virus become activated.
The thing is, the intuition of Zen realization is a slippery slope of no return. Once the soul is transformed by Zen, there is no way out of it. I call it the Lobster Pot syndrome. You go in, but you can't come back. So what's the problem with that, you ask? I don't know about Zen practice in Japan, but to practice mindfulness in America is to become a Stranger in a Strange Land. Experiential considerations like Suchness and law of interdependent causation, or the poise of dynamic equilibrium, have never really assimilated into modern American culture. So--be prepared to join a frame of reference with a tiny minority. You don't care. So be it.
Sitting Zazen is good--but this whole 8 hrs a day Enlightenment or die approach is something I frankly feel is too extreme. It is not the middle way. It may be good for beginners who are attempting to condition the mind and develop good mental habits--but if Zen is anything it is adaptable. It is pragmatic. Like tea in a cup, when you shatter the cup there is no tea, there is no cup, but there is a big freaking mess to clean up. Learn to steal moments of stillness in the flow of life wherever you can--at stop lights, in the waiting room, in the checkout line. It is best to learn to practice meditation through action. Turn every waking minute into the practice of mindful attendence. Watch your breath. In the book there is a story called Every Minute Zen that addresses this point. If one loses their center, and their sense of self awareness, whether participating in the marketplace, or on the battlefield of life, then one's 'attainment' is very meager. For one's aim to be true, you have to rise above the occasion of drama, wherever, and whenever, it presents itself. Everything is an opportunity, for a quickening of awareness, after all. Zen is Nature's Hammer. Be the Nail. Only don't know. Be.

Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices: A Holiday Novel of Hope and Healing
Published in Hardcover by HCI (2002-10-15)
List price: $12.95
Used price: $27.84
Average review score: 

Wonderful and Inspiring!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-28
Review Date: 2008-06-28
This is a COOL book. It makes you want to believe, and it gives you hope. It's SAD, but also has FUNNY parts. I like the part about the dog. You will LOVE this book!
An Inspiring and--ultimately--comforting story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-29
Review Date: 2007-11-29
Readers will get one third of the way through this book and say, "What's so comforting about this book? This book is SAD!"
Well, parts of the book ARE sad...but other part and inspiring and uplifting. You just have to keep reading till the end. I had a chance to hear the song, "The Spirit of Christmas," that goes with the book: it is wonderful!
I can't wait for this book to be made into a MOVIE!
I also loved:This Christmas Night: Reflections from Our Hearts to Your Home
Well, parts of the book ARE sad...but other part and inspiring and uplifting. You just have to keep reading till the end. I had a chance to hear the song, "The Spirit of Christmas," that goes with the book: it is wonderful!
I can't wait for this book to be made into a MOVIE!
I also loved:This Christmas Night: Reflections from Our Hearts to Your Home
It was just 'okay'
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-15
Review Date: 2007-10-15
This book was in my opinion average at best. Yes it had some sad parts, yes it had some warm parts, but all very expectant. You knew what was coming down the road with every page turned. To me it just wasn't worth the time I spent reading it. You can judge a book by how often you think about it once you've finished it. Does it linger on your mind? Does it strike an emotion in you when you think about it? This book does none of that. Once I finished it and put it down, I never thought about it again. The writing style of the Author felt more like someone that is in high school. No depth. The book was also very short with larger font so it didn't take more than a an hour and half to read.
My new favorite Christmas Book!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-23
Review Date: 2007-11-23
This book gets better with each reading...and so far I've read it six times!
This is a book of comfort, inspiration, faith...a parable about the rewards of anonymous service...a story of eternal bonds. This story shows how service to others can make a life meaningful, even after the most severe and traumatic of tragidies.
Life can bring you to your knees in despair...but it can also exalt you when you learn what great things can come of everyday kindnesses.
This book has made me really think!
John Allen is a consumate story teller...a modern day Dickens. I contacted HCI Books and they told me John is working on another book that should be completed soon. I cannot wait to read it!
Also recommended: The Christmas Jars--wonderful!
This is a book of comfort, inspiration, faith...a parable about the rewards of anonymous service...a story of eternal bonds. This story shows how service to others can make a life meaningful, even after the most severe and traumatic of tragidies.
Life can bring you to your knees in despair...but it can also exalt you when you learn what great things can come of everyday kindnesses.
This book has made me really think!
John Allen is a consumate story teller...a modern day Dickens. I contacted HCI Books and they told me John is working on another book that should be completed soon. I cannot wait to read it!
Also recommended: The Christmas Jars--wonderful!
More than just a Christmas book
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-05
Review Date: 2006-08-05
Why would my friend give me a Christmas book when it wasn't Christmas?
Why?
She knew that I had just suffered a devastating loss. And she explained that "Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices" was more than a holiday novel...it was a parable that showed how service and thinking of others ultimately brings peace after a loss.
The other book my dear friend gave me had a less perplexing title: "I Wasn't Ready To Say Goodbye" by Brook Noel.
While Allen's book was lyrical and parable-like, Noel's book was filled with straightfoward advice.
Because my friend helped me out so very much by giving these books to me when I needed them most, I wanted, in turn, to tell others about these books. They are wonderful and comforting.
And isn't it interesting: one book that helped me was set during the holiday season, and the other book was written by someone with the name "Noel."
Why?
She knew that I had just suffered a devastating loss. And she explained that "Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices" was more than a holiday novel...it was a parable that showed how service and thinking of others ultimately brings peace after a loss.
The other book my dear friend gave me had a less perplexing title: "I Wasn't Ready To Say Goodbye" by Brook Noel.
While Allen's book was lyrical and parable-like, Noel's book was filled with straightfoward advice.
Because my friend helped me out so very much by giving these books to me when I needed them most, I wanted, in turn, to tell others about these books. They are wonderful and comforting.
And isn't it interesting: one book that helped me was set during the holiday season, and the other book was written by someone with the name "Noel."

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One
Published in Paperback by Orb Books (2005-02-01)
List price: $18.95
New price: $6.71
Used price: $6.00
Used price: $6.00
Average review score: 

A Steaming Pile...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-11
Review Date: 2008-07-11
This is without a doubt the worst collection of science fiction stories - and the most wretchedly written - that I have ever encountered.
Who the hell are these people who have collectively given this book a five star rating? I suppose they must be members of the editor's extended family.
Who the hell are these people who have collectively given this book a five star rating? I suppose they must be members of the editor's extended family.
Classic, must read for all sci-fi fans
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-07
Review Date: 2008-04-07
This book is an amazing read and a must for all sci-fi fans and a possible entry into the genre for the uninitiated. The stories were selected by the science fiction writers of America and represent the stories they feel have shaped science fiction from the 1920s-1960s. Some of these are classics that the average person may have come across in high school english class, like 'Flowers for Algernon', while others are relatively unknown to today's average sci-fi reader.
If you are a sci-fi fan and haven't read the stories contained in this book, then you owe it to yourself to either buy this book or borrow it from your library, because these stories have laid the foundation for all the sci-fi that has followed. If you want to get your teenager into reading, buy them this book...the stories are short, but they are extremely enjoyable which makes it great for teenagers.
If you are a sci-fi fan and haven't read the stories contained in this book, then you owe it to yourself to either buy this book or borrow it from your library, because these stories have laid the foundation for all the sci-fi that has followed. If you want to get your teenager into reading, buy them this book...the stories are short, but they are extremely enjoyable which makes it great for teenagers.
Good collection of stories
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-22
Review Date: 2008-02-22
This book, Volume 1, is well worth getting. The stories are the best and many are classics.
A classic...never out of style
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-10
Review Date: 2008-04-10
I was new to some of these stories. And I was sorry I had not read them years before.Since they date back to the 1950s in many cases, you would think they would seem dated. And some are...but there are so many gems that are worth reading, and reading again. They have aged well. What is a good yarn, written well, will never go out of style.
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One: The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of All Time Chosen by the Members of the Scie
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-15
Review Date: 2008-02-15
This is a great book, if you are a sci fi fan. The vendor was first rate. The book arrived quickly and in excellent condition. There are some true sci fi classics in this volume, and the authors from the "Golden Era" of Sci Fi are all represented here. I intend to keep this book on my shelf forever.
Myron
Myron
Beatrix Potter Classics (Unabridged)
Published in Audio Download by audible.com ()
List price: $15.00
New price: $7.88
Average review score: 

nice baby shower gift
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-24
Review Date: 2008-08-24
I got this for a baby shower gift for someone. I wanted to give something that could last. I ended up buying one for myself. It's a trip down memory lane reading the sweet stories and looking at the beautiful pictures. I hope my friend's baby has great memories growing up with these stories as I did.
Pass this book on from generation to generation!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-24
Review Date: 2008-08-24
This is a lovely book that comes in a sturdy, decorative, open-eneded box to protect the volume. Besides containing all of Beatrix Potter's wonderful children's stories, it has all of the original illustrations in one volume. This is the perfect "bedtime story" book, and it sits on the nightstand next to my 11-old-granddaughter's bed. She reads the stories to her 3-year-old sister every night, and is planning on continuing the tradition with her 1-year-old brother. She told me that she is enjoying the stories as much as her little sister!
I purchased this book as a gift for their family, and, as a proud grandmother, I can't think of anything that costs so little and yet gives so much. I would recommend this book for anyone! I am going to purchase another copy for my own house, just in case I have guests who show up with little ones. It's a perfect addition to anyone's library, and I highly recommend it.
I purchased this book as a gift for their family, and, as a proud grandmother, I can't think of anything that costs so little and yet gives so much. I would recommend this book for anyone! I am going to purchase another copy for my own house, just in case I have guests who show up with little ones. It's a perfect addition to anyone's library, and I highly recommend it.
Wonderful book !!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-08
Review Date: 2008-08-08
This book is beautifully presented and a true gem for any library or child's collection. All of the stories are presented in the order in which they were written and published. All of the original illustrations are there as well.
I highly recommend this book....it is reasonably priced and complete.
I highly recommend this book....it is reasonably priced and complete.
Beautiful book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-17
Review Date: 2008-07-17
I purchased this book for myself but ended up giving it to a friend for her new twins. I'm sure they will enjoy it as much as I did. Beautiful publication. I read Peter Rabbit as a child long ago and didn't realize it was Beatrix Potter. She's a special favorite of mine.
A Book for All ages...
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-07
Review Date: 2008-07-07
I bought this for my 14 year old niece. She has a slight reading problem, as some kids do and this book has helped her to want to learn to read more then prior to receiving it. Outstanding for family read alongs.

Black Water (Pendragon, Book 5)
Published in Audio CD by Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged Lib Ed (2005-06-24)
List price: $82.25
New price: $82.25
Average review score: 

Black Water and more and more!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-28
Review Date: 2008-08-28
Each book contains a new, exciting adventure!
The story just keeps getting better every time a new book comes out!
And i continue to love Bobby Pendragon more and more every adventure.
The story just keeps getting better every time a new book comes out!
And i continue to love Bobby Pendragon more and more every adventure.
A Dark Overtone
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-09
Review Date: 2008-06-09
Starting at this book, the entire series takes on a very dark overtone. Just who is Saint Dane? Why does he want everyone dead? After his last victory, what powers has he gained? And most of all, how will this effect the very boundaries of the territories?
The book starts where the creepy ending of the last book left off. Bobby returns through the flume to see that Saint Dane had made a change of look in front of Mark and Courtney and given them Gunny's disembodies hand in a bag.
After this, Bobby is thrown into a world full of people who are DEFINITLEY not human, and where humans are nothing but poorly treated slave animals to the dominant spieces. Did I mention that a mysterious plague is going to wipe out this entire territory and the only way to stop it is to cross items between the territories, one of the biggest Traveler rules?
Will this have an effect on everything? Will Mark and Courtney have a special task from now on? Who are the acolytes? How does the mysterious old man connect to Uncle Press? All of this is answered in this book of the Pendragon Series!
The book starts where the creepy ending of the last book left off. Bobby returns through the flume to see that Saint Dane had made a change of look in front of Mark and Courtney and given them Gunny's disembodies hand in a bag.
After this, Bobby is thrown into a world full of people who are DEFINITLEY not human, and where humans are nothing but poorly treated slave animals to the dominant spieces. Did I mention that a mysterious plague is going to wipe out this entire territory and the only way to stop it is to cross items between the territories, one of the biggest Traveler rules?
Will this have an effect on everything? Will Mark and Courtney have a special task from now on? Who are the acolytes? How does the mysterious old man connect to Uncle Press? All of this is answered in this book of the Pendragon Series!
Pendragon Series - Black Water
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-21
Review Date: 2008-04-21
I was given a gift of the first Pendragon book. I groaned because I NEVER read science fiction/fantasy. I felt I should "try" to read it because, after all, it was a gift. Keep in mind that this series is for teens and I am a grandmother! You guessed it: I couldn't put it down. I am about to start Book # Seven - The Quillan Games. These are so very entertaining. I would highly recommend them to anyone over the age of 10!
An adult view
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-15
Review Date: 2008-02-15
I have been a fan of fantasy and science fiction for all of my life. I stumbled upon this series and have enjoyed each of the books. As you progress with Bobby from book to book it hooks you into waiting for his next journal. The books are written for teens, but adults can enjoy them as well. The moderation is well done and consistent between each of the books so no different voices to piece together for the same character. I've found that as each book in the series builds upon each other, the storyline keeps getting better. I would recommend this series to both young adults and adults. As good does not always win in the books, as in real life, the storyline of perseverance and making hard choices parallels decisions that our youth face in their lives. A good series for anyone to read.
best one yet
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-14
Review Date: 2008-02-14
The first time I started reading "The Merchant of death," I loved it. I thought how could it get much better than this. Well, it just did. Black Water is the most "Spiff" book yet. When Bobby Gets to Eelong, he is instantly engulfed in exciting adventures and risks being eaten and killed in pretty much any way you could imagine all to stop Saint Daine from sending the territory in to chaos. This is a great book you'll love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mitch Huckaby

Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine: 108 Ingenious Shortcuts to Navigate the World of Wine with Confidence and Style
Published in Paperback by Penguin (Non-Classics) (2004-12-07)
List price: $18.00
New price: $2.30
Used price: $2.15
Used price: $2.15
Average review score: 

Brilliant, Very Funny and Entertaining
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-13
Review Date: 2008-01-13
Love this! For wine there is no better tome to make you feel like you know what you're talking about. Mark Oldman is brilliant, very funny and entertaining...and iconoclastic and ironic. The book is SO WELL PACED. Before starting it, I would say I was about a 2 in knowing about wine...now I feel like I'm at 7 or 8.
this is "the" wine book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-24
Review Date: 2007-12-24
If you're serious about learning about wine, Oldman's Guide is "the" book. The author's writing style is so attractive and laugh out loud funny that you'll feel you're with a super knowledgeable friend with the rare ability to make wine simple and clear.
Great book for that recent college grad who wants to be into wine
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-19
Review Date: 2007-11-19
This is a perfect gift for a young man who wants to get into wine. Tips are sorted into bite sized chunks, making this a good bedside read or something to keep in the briefcase on a business trip to take up that 15 minutes of dead time in your schedule.
(Too much) accessible for wine lovers.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-01
Review Date: 2007-10-01
It is really accessible for all newcomers in the world of wine, but is quite annoying for those who already have a basic knowledge of the subject. In addition, I think that the book is not addressing the issue of wine tasting with the proper detail, and this is a great flaw for a book that is expected to guide casual drinkers into the secrets and the pleasures of wine.
Make it your first book on wine!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-02
Review Date: 2008-03-02
If you are buying your first book on wine, let it be this one. I have previously bought some other books that were advertised as aimed towards non professionals, but I found many parts of them very hard to read. Oldman's guide is worth reading, and it can awaken the love for wine in you. It is made as one or two page shortcuts which you can easily read, grab off the shelf when you feel like it or when you want to know more. This is the ultimate guide for beginners!

Amelia Bedelia (I Can Read Book 2)
Published in Paperback by HarperFestival (1993-03-09)
List price: $8.99
New price: $5.02
Used price: $1.90
Used price: $1.90
Average review score: 

Classic!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-21
Review Date: 2008-07-21
I loved this one growing up. Really. Amelia Bedelia always choose the funniest possible interpretation of words, and her name rhymes! What's not to love?
The one thing I'd be concerned about is that a lot of the usages in this book are going to be unfamiliar to your young kid. I don't think many of us say "draw the curtains" anymore, and even if we do, we probably don't often talk about "trimming" steak (with or without lace!) or "dressing" chicken, at least, not around our kids. Maybe we should, but we don't.
So this book might be better saved for read-aloud time than read-alone time.
The one thing I'd be concerned about is that a lot of the usages in this book are going to be unfamiliar to your young kid. I don't think many of us say "draw the curtains" anymore, and even if we do, we probably don't often talk about "trimming" steak (with or without lace!) or "dressing" chicken, at least, not around our kids. Maybe we should, but we don't.
So this book might be better saved for read-aloud time than read-alone time.
I read this when I was young
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-30
Review Date: 2007-03-30
I remember reading these books years and years ago! I'm in 10th grade and it's been more 5 years since I was in elementary school and yet when I go work at my old school I go back and read them again!
Wonderful 'First reader' Book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-10
Review Date: 2006-11-10
A fun (and funny) book which will delight kids with Amelia's well-intentioned but mistake-laden chores. Kids feel empowered because they are 'smarter' than the character and are able to cheer her on. In the end, Amelia's good deeds overpower any mistakes she makes.
I recommend this book for any child who is beginning to read on their own!
I recommend this book for any child who is beginning to read on their own!
We Love You Amelia Bedelia!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-22
Review Date: 2006-09-22
This is surly a kids favorite since I was a little girl! We join Amelia Bedelia as she starts her first day of work for the Rodgers. They rush off shortly after she arrives, but they've left her a list of things to do. Should be a snap, as all the tasks are simple and clearly stated...but that's what you think...Amelia Bedelia begins completing each chore in quite a literal fashion...drawing the drapes and much, much more! Younger kids (1-4) will like the silliness of it and beginner readers and more savvy grade schoolers (5-8) will like that's it's simple and clever/silly too! I recommend it without reservation! I'm sure Amelia will be with us, teaching fine lessons about the words we use and the many means they can have for generations to come!
Draw the curtain
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-24
Review Date: 2006-08-24
A great, witty book that my 4-year old loved. Made her think about the different meanings of words.
Books-Under-Review-->Kids and Teens-->School Time-->English-->Literature-->Classics-->17
Related Subjects: Carroll, Lewis Alcott, Louisa May Andersen, Hans Christian Baum, L. Frank Montgomery, Lucy Maud Shakespeare, William Twain, Mark
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Related Subjects: Carroll, Lewis Alcott, Louisa May Andersen, Hans Christian Baum, L. Frank Montgomery, Lucy Maud Shakespeare, William Twain, Mark
More Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250