Science Books

Let the reader of this review be aware that the reason I wrote it is because it was written by a former local Boston author that was also a neighbor of mine for a while and we share a lot of friends and acquaintances. I like my readers to know if I have a personal bias about a book I'm reviewing. It doesn't usually affect my reviews other than influencing me to do review the book in the first place.
While the young medical student and researcher who was doing a study on safe sex practices at one of Nevada's legal brothels (called ranches) she realized there was enough interest in this subject that she should also write a book about her experiences while doing the research project at the Harvard University School of Public Health. This ranch was later seized by the IRS for non-payment of taxes by the owners and at one time was going to be turned into a museum and park for the namesake wild horses that inhabit the area. It's since been literally moved to another location.
Alexa Albert spent three years trying to get permission to do her study on the use of condoms at The Mustang Ranch. She was finally given permission since she was an accredited medical expert on the subject from Harvard School of Public Health. Since the state regulators and the ranch managers insist that only sex with a condom is allowed, they already knew what the medical research study would confirm and weren't worried about any additional adverse publicity that would have the public up in arms to shut down Nevada's legal brothels. The author was most surprised at the reaction her study produced from the 100 plus working prostitutes at the ranch. They were dying to tell their stories. They individually confirmed that they never, ever practiced unsafe sex at the brothel. They knew such an action would not only endanger their lives, but would also get them fired from a job that annually paid many of them more than the President of the United States gets in a year. The women at Mustang were neither poor nor unwilling to be sex workers and were drop-dead beautiful. Most of them were supporting other family members.
The author had previously worked with and studied street prostitutes in NYC and found that they better fit the stereotypical mold of battered women, druggies, and were often working against their will. While they preferred practicing safe sex, their customers didn't want to cooperate and even their own pimps would not provide them with condoms even though they could be gotten from medical authorities at no cost. Many of those pimps and boy friends used drugs and violence to control their posse of "whores."
Albert discovered the difference in the unregulated and licensed brothels was like night and day. The experience convinced her that regulating prostitution was by far the best for the prostitutes, their customers and society in general.
The book is full of interviews and personal stories and even a few unbelievable sex practices which probably weren't necessary to fulfill the book's main purpose but that make it infinitely more interesting to read. Some things are just plain hard to believe and are weird enough to be included in the "Guinness Book of World Records."
The reader of this tome won't be bored, but will learn much that they didn't expect when they started reading about the almost legendary Mustang Ranch that is only miles from Virginia City fabulous "Comstock Silver Mnes" and the world Mark Twain wrote about as a young news reporter. Brothels and prostitution have always been an institution in Nevada, The Silver State.
Albert also wrote a brief forward for "Brothels of Nevada: Candid Views of America's Legal Sex Industry." This book of fine art photography will provide the curious reader with a good look at the inside of the Mustang Ranch as well of most of Nevada's other Legal Brothels. The reader won't find any pictures of the girls themselves in that architectural study by award winning photographer Timothy Hursley. The book is published by the Princeton Architectural Press, which should provide a good clue as to the subject matter. (See my review).

It's too bad this isn't required reading for "I've got my mind made up, don't confuse me with the facts," anti-prostitution people. Alexa Albert is a graduate from the Harvard school of medicine, and she brings a balanced, non-emotional, non-judgmental perspective to the topic of legal prostitution in Nevada (which is pretty rare for this topic). This book adds a candid, human dimension to the lives of sex workers. Highly recommended reading for anyone who wants the real story.

This book is a very powerful, moving, and professionally written look into the workings of what was once one of the largest legal brothels in the country. The author is essentially sympathetic to the concept of legalized prostitution, but conveys very clearly her own ambiguity, and makes no effort to gloss over the admitted negatives associated with the trade. This is a very balanced look at a subject that it is very hard to be evenhanded with, and gives very clear insights into the lives that legalized prostitution touches.

I'm a sucker for books that take me into a subculture I know nothing about and have no intention of visiting, and this exploration of legalized prostitution in Nevada certainly fits the bill. The author originally approached the Nevada Brothel Association in the early 1990s with the aim of conducting surveys of prostitutes as part of a public health study looking at condom use and efficacy in preventing STDs. However, when she finally did gain access, it turned into a larger anthropological study of Nevada brothel life, focusing on the largest and most well-known of these, the Mustang Ranch.

The author was a live-in guest there off and on, from 1993 until the brothel's closure in 1999, and the portrait she emerged with is an invaluable one for anyone seeking to understand prostitution as a legal, moral, political, and personal issue. She conducted formal and informal interviews with dozens of the women working there, the staff, and others on the outside involved in pro or anti-brothel lobbying, all the while struggling with her own assumptions and attitudes. The only thing more impressive than her fieldwork is her keen synthesis of everything she heard into a compelling straightforward account that is both fair-minded and likely to challenge most reader's assumptions.

The range of topics covered is vast, including: brothel pricing and business strategies, internal cliques and feuds among the prostitutes, attitudes of customers, attitudes toward customers, feelings of kinship among prostitute, the debate among prostitutes as to whether or not "enjoying" their work is acceptable, online "customer" forums, and much more. Perhaps the most surprising (and depressing) aspect to me was the extent to which many of the women interviewed were emotionally blackmailed or coerced into prostitution by family members (usually husbands, but at least one mother and one mother-in-law were mentioned). Indeed, the extent to which informal pimps exist in legalized prostitution is rather a shock. Throughout it all, she presents what she is told in clear, concise, and compassionate prose that raise the veil on a shadowy world and will likely challenge many readers assumptions.

Note: Academy Award winners Joe Pesci and Helen Mirren are starring in Academy Award winning director Taylor Hackford's (Ray) 2009 film, "Love Ranch," which is about the rise and fall of the Mustang Ranch.

Overall, this is an easy read, nothing too filthy, nothing too disturbing, and most definitely a window into a world most of us know nothing of. But make no mistake, this is very adult content.

I found the narrative simple and straightforward, basically a story following the Mustang Ranch until its demise in the summer of 1999.

Author Albert approaches the Mustang Ranch and its women, and her initial research project from a solidly anti-prostitution perspective, viewing it--without the benefit of truly knowing the subject--clearly as the manipulation, subjugation, and entrapment of vulnerable women. But quite interestingly, by the end of the book, having seen the business and its commodity up close and personal, she has had what appears to me to be an almost total change of heart, now seeing prostitution, at least in the context of a legally constituted and regulated industry, as an empowering profession lived by real people who more or less choose their involvement within it.

So, this is not necessarily an objective study on legalized prostitution. For a woman with the kind of medical and research credentials which author Albert professes to have, the book is remarkably devoid of research language, descriptions of her research methodologies, her trials, observations, etc. The book is virtually sanitized of just about any trace of her research, its methods, and its outcome. The entire reason for her to be at Mustang in the first place was for her to conduct research, but that issue and story is quickly left behind for the clearly far more interesting and compelling story of the Mustang Ranch, its ladies, and the business.

If you're looking for graphic descriptions of sexual encounters, this book will not deliver. There are a couple of passages in which she describes sexual acts and encounters, but the descriptions are not titillating. Thankfully, she also dispenses with any kind of medical or clinical descriptions of the acts as well. Yes, the f-word does creep in a couple of times, and there are some passages containing graphic language, although these are usually not from the author, but her quotations of her brothel-mates.

No, author Albert does not become one of the girls, although she is accepted as one by the ladies of the ranch. I was very much reminded of Patpong Sisters: An American Woman's View of the Bangkok Sex World, which I think would be a great companion-read to this book.

As a male reader, it was very refreshing to read the passage in which Albert actually buys a set of hooker lingerie to bring home as a gift to her husband. Now that's education in action.

More than anything in this book, I was heartened to see this story of an author with an established set of beliefs who set out to confirm them, only to have them changed almost completely, all because she kept an open mind and listened to her subjects.

After reading Stanek's "The Kingdoms and the Elves" books and "Service of Dragons" books, my kids and I discovered this one. Journey Beyond the Beyond is an entertaining read, not as deep as Mr. Stanek's others, but with a terrific story none-the-less. Huge fun for ages 8 and up especially boys.

This is the first Robert Stanek book I read. Even though several years have passed since then I still remember the characters and pick up the book from time to time to re-read it. Anyone who liked Shrek the movie or books with creepy critters in them is going to love this. I totally enjoyed it and recommend it.

Jake Jr.

My favorites by this author are his Kingdoms and Dragons books. I love the Kingdoms and enjoy reading and re-reading the books. Magic Lands is very different from the other ones, but still fantasy. This is the story of Ray, a 13-year-old village boy who must journey to the place lost and deep. The journey is a rite of passage, and he must undertake it by himself. During the journey he has many strange encounters with the creatures living in the wild areas around his village. This is a hugely fun and fast read!

I thought this book was a good read in general. I liked the storyline and the characters. It's exciting and fast paced. Easy to read and understand. I strongly suggest you read this event-filled journey.

Remember those times as a kid when you picked up a book and got lost in it? Well, this is such a book. I read Journey Beyond the Beyond a few years back and I was immediately drawn in to this truly magical story. This is a thrilling, edge-of-the seat read, even for an adult like me. You'll be swept away in an amazing world and desperately desire to become part of this magical universe.

Robert Stanek writes deftly as he tells the story of 13-year-old Ray who must journey to the place lost and deep to prove to himself and to his people that he is no longer a child. Ray's journey is a rite of passage, a trial that tests Ray's strength and courage. As soon as he sets out from his village he is set upon by Old Bull, a terrifying creature with human characteristics and traits. Old Bull chases and taunts Ray every step of the journey. The journey to the place lost and deep is only the beginning, however, for Ray's dreams--dreams the village elder warned Ray about--are taking him on a much longer, darker path.

The imagery in Stanek's writing about this watery world filled with strange and wonderful creatures is deep and occassionaly dark. You can't help but worry about Ray and his safety as he faces the many perils along his journey. I was equally impressed by the illustrations throughout this over-sized book. The intricately detailed cover illustration shows Ray leaving his home village, leaving behind his friends Isaac, Tall, Ephramme, and Keene. The back cover has a detailed illustration of Ray battling a large bull. Throughout the book there are amazingly detailed illustrations as well.

If you haven't discovered the worlds of Robert Stanek yet, you should. Here's why:

1. His books have imagination. Most books written for adults are seriously lacking in both aspects. His books on the other hand have rich imagery, well-designed plots, and plenty for imagination to feast on.

2. His books have heart. The books have moral, life, and relationship lessons that are meaningful. The characters show courage, bravery, heroism, loyalty, compassion. You don't feel like you're being preached to because the writing is mature and the subjects are approached in a way that is part of the story, part of the world he creates.

3. His books are Fun with a capital F! They're fairly easy reads that you can pick up and completely lose yourself in. They're great escapes from daily life and from "heavy" literature. With series like, The Kingdoms and the Elves, and In the Service of Dragons, the books get better and better as the series progresses.

4. His books are incredibly good. We all need a little magic in our lives, and his books provide that. It's good to feel like a kid again, and for younger readers it's great to find an author that doesn't talk down to his readers. His books are written in a way that is equally adult-friendly and young people-friendly.

Highly recommended reading!

I loved this series in middle school and would highly recommend it as a fun leisure read for children in that age bracket.

The last book of the enchanted forest chronicles, it is as funny. It is a sequel to Calling on Dragons and the end of the story is a happily ever after for a lot of characters and a not so happy ending for others. It is a book that should not be missed.

My daughters often read the four books from the Enchanted Forest series by Patricia C. Wrede. They came across the books a couple years back. They seem to check out the books and audio tapes every couple months. Over the last year I have listened to bits and pieces of the series.

Talking to Dragons is was the first book published, but it is really the fourth in the series. The hero of the story is a 16 year old boy by the name of Daystar. For the first 16 years of his life he lived on the edge of the Enchanted Forest with his mother. Then one day his mother gives him a sword and sends him out into Enchanted Forest. His mother tells him he has a mission, but won't tell him what the mission is.

Fairly quickly Daystar bumps into a fire-witch. They are both in trouble with wizards, and decide to stick together. Daystar was taught to always be polite to dragons. They come across a young dragon. Daystar is very polite and the dragon joins the group. Near the end of the book Daystar finally figures out his mission and helps save the day.

This is a fun book. It moves along well. I stayed up till midnight to finish it. If your children like fantasy, you might have them try this book.

Talking To Dragons Jane Yolen Books,
Patricia C. Wrede ISBN 0-15-284247-0

Talking to Dragons is a great book about kings, princes, princesses, dragons, and wizards by Patricia C. Wrede. It takes place in Enchanted Forest. The narrator of the book is the main character, Daystar.
One day Daystar's mom tells him to go on a quest that he knows nothing about. He started out on a quest and meets new creatures and people, some of them become his companions and some his enemies.
His companions, a young fire witch named Shiara and a young dragon, become really good friends with him. They help him on his quest. After a while he started to figure out that the sword his mom gave him was important because everybody wanted it. People called it "The Sword of the Sleeping King." All he knew is that he needed to go through a cave to be where he was supposed to.
At the end he found the Sleeping King and everybody was reunited. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy and also a happy ending. I recommend reading the first three books Dealing With Dragons, Searching For Dragons and Calling for Dragons.

PR28

All the Enchanted Forest Chronicles are so much fun! Definitely at my top of Harry Potter fan recommendations. They're just such an amusing read; I even teach with them. Don't forget to read "The Frying Pan of Doom."

Code complete is the right title for this book. Sadly most people find it extremely hart to read it. Its great as a reference but reading it word for word is as interesting as watching grass grow. Don't get me wrong. This is a great book. Everyone should at least hold it for once. But do not try to read it as a book. The first 300 pages will be boring. When the actual code chapters begin it gets better but still tends to be tedious.

A great book for beginners but a little boring read for advanced users.

When I bought this book, I couldn't believe all the 5 star ratings in the reviews. But, now that I've finished it, I have to agree with them. Simply put, this is probably the best computer-related book I've read. In the book's 850 pages, I found a grand total of five minor problems: one was grammatical, two were typographical and two were minor disagreements with how some things were presented. All trivial. Content-wise, if the universities would teach this material and if programmers would follow the methodologies contained in the book, the world of software would be far, far better off. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book and rate it an Excellent 5 stars out of 5.

This was a great book both for me and my team. I've been in the software industry for many years. I started building a team of developers and needed an easy way to bring novice and experienced programmers together on a similar set of standards. This book provided us with the perfect framework from which to start our team. We've developed several major projects using the principles in this book and have experienced a great deal of success.

One warning, the book gets a bit tedious after the first half. If you're looking to improve your C programming skills, it gets really detailed into pointers and other fun, or not, stuff. Also, the examples are in VB.NET...but you still get the point.

If you're an experienced software developer or a newbee in the world of commercial computer programming this book will give a good kick in the right direction. Steve McConnel will keep you hooked by mixing the right guiding concepts with real-life knowledge and examples.

for all programmers. Shall I say Application Developers? Software Engineers? Whatever the title is, programming jobs are alive and well! This book provides a solid foundation. It is too bad very few American students are interested in this profession.

The average students are all studying business marketing. The good students are studying finance.

At Harvard University, they do not teach Accounting. The best ones, study Economics. There are only 21 students studying Computer Science at Harvard. Yet, parents are paying $220,000 to Harvard and other Ivy League. Truly amazing!

Is there anyway we can change this trend?

This is a incredible book. You will feel like you've met a new friend in Judith. This book shows that the physic is not a taboo but a beautiful spirtual experience. Everyone who reads this book will be grateful they did.

Second Sight was recommended to me by a friend who knew of my interest in the psychic, and I am so happy she did...I could not put this book down, looking forward to sitting quietly each morning to read the next chapter in Ms. Orloff's life. A must read for anyone interested in the spiritual, psychic, or healing abilities. With this book, Ms. Orloff has inspired me to reach out and explore a long desired interest in my own psychic abilities and it's spiritual connection. Highly recommended!

Judith Orloff has a deep mystical current running through this enchanting autobiography. She writes with candor and insight into the intuitive nature we all possess and -if we are wise- whose counsel we heed. Offering a guidebook, life story, and adventure -all in one book, this is highly recommended reading for anyone who feels the tug of spiritual awakening to our mystical potential. I used this book while teaching my college class and students all loved it! Well-written, credible, and delightful!

I have been reading many different books dealing with healing, spiritual growth and energy medicine. Most have a variety of resources to offer and to guide you. In her book, Judith goes beyond techniques. She reveals the difficulties of growing up with a spiritual gift. And what makes her story so different from others is that Judith tells not only the beautiful side of what such a gift can give you, but also the challenges and the incredible responsibility that is imbedded in having psychic abilities.

Judith's book gives you her own story in a clear, passionate and courageous way. She is a pioneer in revealing what most people may not understand; and even reject in an academic and professional setting. It is not easy in such a setting to advance your career and serve others in a meaningful way acknowledging that you have psychic abilities. Judith has been able to do that and has found a way to show others that is possible to have a career without ignoring or rejecting your psychic abilities.

In a time, that many are trying to ¨have psychic abilities ¨ it is a blessing to find someone who shows that those gifts must be developed with a purpose different than just being special or have some power. As she correctly points out those abilities must be embedded in a deep connection with the divine within each of us.

It's like I can take a deep breath and relax now. Someone once asked me "How do you feel when you enter a room where there's a lot of fighting and anger?" My immediate response was: "I recoil and want to run out of there." I thought everybody felt this way. Granted we all feel things up to a certain level, but the notion that I feel more than most never occurred to me. Doesn't everyone? I thought. Learning I was not alone in my experiences was a huge relief and revelation to me. When I read Dr. Orloff's book I felt I had found me. I now knew who I was and could now just simply enjoy what once seemed like a curse. Feeling everything like I have been up to date without understanding it is "crazy making." I now realized no, it's a blessing, I have been given a whole 'nother level of awareness and depth. It is powerful. Hearing Dr. Orloff explain it through sharing her life- it blew the barn doors open. She talks openly about all her experiences as well as how she deeply respects her gifts and how she has combined these with traditional methodologies. Yes, there is a feeling of "safety" that she has credentials when reading this, but for me the true safety comes in how Dr. Orloff has chosen to use her gifts and live her life. She deeply respects what she has and is grateful for it. She does not misuse what she has and adds seriousness and credibility to her spiritual gifts.

I bought a copy of this book for my sister as she feels things on the hyper-sensitive scale as I. My sister gets massive migraines and has been taking medication to manage this. After reading Dr. Orloff's story and learned how she went through a phase of medicating herself to "escape" until she new what to do with what she had been given, I related this to my sister. She opened up to me and told me more things that she had experienced as a child. I now hope that my sister will be able to understand herself an accept and enjoy these gifts she has been given.

As far as I'm concerned Dr. Orloff is opening doors for people and allowing everyone to relax as well as respect a whole arena of the human experience that typically gets shunned, and until very recently even went punished. And the biggest tragedy of all is that these gifts have gone unused, denied and ignored by many and dismissed as sillyness or even crazyness of some kind. With this openess and understanding of what is really going on many can now not waste what they have been blessed with and can live incredibly rich, powerful lives. There's nothing to reject or push away. In fact, this is cause for celebration. Thank you for sharing your story, Dr. Orloff.

The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian is one of my favorites. This book is fully illustrated throughout by Mark Schultz who does an excellent job! The Phoenix on the Sword is REH's first story of Conan. Some of REH's best stories are here: The God in The Bowl, The Tower in the Elephant, The Frost Giants Daughter, Queen of the Black Coast, Rogues in the House, and more.

Robert E. Howard (1906-1936) was an extra-ordindary creative writer who in my opinion was the best! His vision, talent, creative writing, and action packed stories can and will never be replicated! To learn more about this unique man read The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard by Mark Finn. Also, read the Best of REH 1 & 2, Beyond The Black River, The Black Stranger and Other American Tales has the scariest story EVER Pigeons From Hell! Be sure to read it at night with plenty of light.

Must Reads: REH The Last of the Trunk, Solomon Kane, Kull, Bran Mak Morn, The Bloody Crown of Conan, All of the Weird Works REH, All of Weird Tales, and Selected Letters of REH, and my favorite about Cats the Abyss, Cormac Mac Art, Dark Horse comics Conan and Pigeons from Hell, One Who Walked Alone by REH's girlfriend Novalyn Ellis, Two-Gun Bob, A Centennial Study of REH-This anthology of essays by 16 professionals offers a centenary tribute to REH and his literary achievement; In Two-Gun Bob I found out that REH had only been to the seashore only once in his life!

A special thanks to Glenn Lord, Patrice Louinet, Rusty Burke, Stuart Williams, Mark Finn, Paul Herman, Dark Horse comics, Del Rey, and everyone else who has kept REH's legacy alive and well.

This compilation of robert e howards prolific amoral barbarian is a must for every conan fan. These stories are so well written that you feel you are actualy in the ancient mythical world of hyboria. The illustrations within the book are a beautifull compliment to each story. I just wish the stories were longer since i am used to reading the full length novels but, most people like short stories so if you like action packed stories in faraway exotic places you will love this collection.

First, I must say that I am a woman. Many have found it unusual that I would love Robert E. Howard's work, but I do. I have all of his stories, and am grateful there are new editions to replace my poor crumbling paperbacks.
As a writer of fantasy Robert E. Howard is a must read for any interested in the genre. We take for granted the acceptance of fantasy in literature today, but in the 1930's-it was not respected or looked on with any serious note. I am not saying Robert E. Howard was without flaws, but he could create such heat on paper in a few sentences that takes many a writer pages to achieve. His raw barbarian hero Conan goes from age 15 to aged king and his journey is never dull. It is the scope of imagination in Howard's writing that is wonderful. The freedom to be wild. We should never forget that as writers. As a reader, I relish Howard's tales of savage myth.

Howard's Conan is a warrior and not much more. The common thread of all the stories is that somewhere along the way way Conan kills someone or something. It's pretty much that simple. Some of the stories are no more than a few pages, while others cover what essentially are multiple chapters. Most of the stories have a smoking hot woman who usually starts scantily clad and ends up completely unclad at some point - though sex does not feature (keeping in mind they were written in the 1930s). Conan isn't even the main character in some cases.

Outside of the tales themselves, I found the introductory discussion of Howard and the development of the Conan character interesting. What was most intriguing to me, though, was the well developed history of Conan's world, written by Howard, which is included toward the end of the volume.

Overall, if you take the stories individually, try not to link them much (despite the ever-present Conan), and you like the genre, you'll probably quite enjoy this collection. It's well written and loaded with exciting action. If you want the type of character development you get from novels, and even from the Conan movies, you'll be disappointed.

The sheer number of reviews should offer solid evidence of just how popular Robert E. Howard's creation Conan the Barbarian is. Though other writers have offered their take on this great character, to fully appreciate Conan one must begin and end with Howard. Nobody but nobody wrote sword and sorcery to equal Howard. I find it interesting all of the in depth analysis of both Howard and his work both pro and con. It's gratifying for any author to see his or her words generate so much discussion. Ultimately, though, I'd urge anyone reading Howard's stories to take the time to enjoy the tale. The ultimate goal of any story teller is to entertain. I believe that Howard understood this better than anyone. You can't miss with the fine collection.

I'm an adult who thoroughly enjoys the fantasy genre. I had high hopes for this series because of the positive reviews. I decided to buy all three books at the same time because, when I get "into" a series, I really want to read all there is that's available as soon as I can get my hands on them.

With that said, I'm very disappointed with the first book. The writing itself is unimaginative. After reading the first several pages of "Kendra said," "Seth said," " Grandpa said," I started to miss the more descriptive writings of real authors. There is also not much of an atmosphere set. It's hard to describe, but Rowling's or Angie Sage's world is much more detailed and well-thought out than the sparse pedestrian descriptions that Mull lends to us.

The characters are also very unsympathetic and can be pretty annoying. After the nth time that Seth disobeyed his grandfather, even after he's had first-hand experience of the dire consequences, I just wanted to throw the book out the window. Is this boy dense? Adventurous, sure. But does he have to border on stupid? His sister Kendra does nothing really than threaten to "tell" on Seth, and is mostly passive and officious.

Lena could have been interesting, but the character turned out flat and one-dimensional. Grandfather is also flat. I just can't believe how a world that's supposed to be filled with wonder can, in this author's hands, turn out to be totally uninteresting. Even the fairies! Nobody has any personality worth spending time with. Unless it's annoying, I guess.

You know what this book really reminds me of? A very boring version of Dragon Tales!

I thought about returning all three books, but I think I'll keep them as a reminder to not rely on reviews on Amazon.com. And just in case I wasn't clear: Stay away from this series. Get Bartimaeus, or re-read Tolkien (which I'm doing now). Even The Last Apprentice series is more interesting, or The Ranger's Apprentice.

Fablehaven? Eh. Picking lint off the floor is more interesting and ultimately more satisfying than this book.

Where simply ... is the Love in this book ? - Sorry, this may sound empty and hollow, but nevertheless for us (two so-called 'adults' reading aloud to our 8 1/2 yr.old daughter) this phrase really hits the spot here. Love not as romance or sexuality, but as a compelling force, a cohesiveness, a light shining. For example, that the brother Seth and the sister Kendra are often at odds or teasing each other is not what disturbed us about this book, but that the two seemed to be missing any depth of feeling at all, for each other in general, for a trapped and pleading fairy, for a brother grotesquely transformed. And not only these two characters seemed to be lacking the depth of Love. Grandpa and Lena also seemed to be more out of cardboard, clay or metal than human, even though they each had moments showing some feelings.
Where this special ingredient is missing, everything feels flat and not quite resonating. Characters (as those of L.Alexander, C.S.Lewis etc.) draw us in ... and soon we are in love with them ... in a certain way even with the 'bad' guys. But here it just didn't happen ... we never felt that the author was really identifying himself with them ... or - better - that he LOVED to write about them.
We also missed this Love for the whole place Fablehaven ... this most magical, wondrous place of precious creation. We did not read the book to the end. Even as a certain measure of curiosity compelled us to about halfway through, we stopped, realizing that we would much rather re-read ANY of C.S. Lewis' Narnia books, for example, than continue with this one. It was a great relief to put this book down.
Why two stars and not just one ? - because the book itself, as a Hardcover is really nicely done and very pleasant to have in hand. Here ... we could feel the Love ... some one had put into play.

In a post-Harry Potter world, there are many 'wannabe' books/series popping up that are trying to satiate the gap left by the Harry Potter series. This book doesn't try to fill the gap, it tries to carve out it's own niche.

Overall the book is very easy to read with little interruption in the action and flow of the story. Maybe not as deep in plot as Harry Potter, but fits the audience this is targeted towards.

Glad that there is another author willing to break the mold and take us where we haven't been before.

After reading this first book of the series I was hooked line and sinker. Shortly after I found the candy shop war book and had to read it too.

Fablehaven is quite the page turner. The story never dulls, it keeps you interested for the whole read. It's not a difficult read and the author has no trouble in making you imagine the Fablehaven world in your head. I was only disappointed with the quick ending, I was hoping for more of a showdown or tougher battle. However, this will not stop me from reading the series. It is a bit younger than Harry Potter (or so I think) but that should not discourage any reader, young or old. If you are in search of a great story, fast read, a world only the imagnation can conjure, and you like fairies, this is the book for you.

The third book First Strike is set after the destruction of Alpha Halo and is about how the Master Chief, Cortana, his fellow Spartans, and some human survivors return to Earth in a captured Covenant Flagship: Ascendant Justice by first stopping by the colony Reach to track any covenant homing beacons to be sure not to reveal the location of Earth to the Covenant. After they find other Spartan, Vice Admiral Whitcomb, and Dr. Catherine Halsey they leave Reach in a damaged justice and later form a temporary alliance with separatist rebels in order to gain repairs. After another fight with a covenant ship, Dr. Halsey enters slipspace in a stolen ship and exfiltrates Spartan "Kelly". Later after hearing from Cortana that the Covenant are headed to Earth, The Chief and his fellow Spartans decide to go on a mission to disrupt the covenant operations by destroying the "Unyielding Hierophant" a vital battle station between the Covenant fleet and Earth. With authorization from the Admiral, the Chief and his fellow Spartans set out for the Hierophant and successfully overload its reactor. They escape on a covenant dropship and get picked up by the justice. Whitcomb and Lieutenant Haverson trick the Covenant fleet into coming near the Hierophant heavily damaging the covenant fleet allowing the chief and his team to escape. Meanwhile on the covenant capital ship: "High Charity" the Chieftain Tartarus and the High Prophet of truth discuss the fate of an Elite who allowed Alpha Halo to be destroyed and and the Ascendant Justice to be Captured.

Overall I'd say this is a good story that bridges the gap between Halo 1 and Halo 2. If you have any questions after you finished the first halo game, I suggest you read this book. It explains how the Covenant were able to discover the location of Earth, and how the Master Chief was able to return to Earth after the destruction of Halo and many more. This is a good read if even if you haven't played the game. But if you want to understand the story better, I suggest you play the first Halo game or read the first two books. (Halo: Fall of Reach, Halo: The Flood).

I haven't been a fan of the Halo Series for long, but after playing Halo 3 I was curious about the story. I found a copy of this book and was happily surprised. Based on the game, I wasn't expecting much, but this book builds a great story around the already famous characters.

The book doesn't require a big understanding of the Halo universe. Some background info does help, of course that makes a little sense because this is not the first book. Anyway, the characters in the book are well developed and the action will keep you reading until the end. Master Chief are Cortana are both expanded upon and the supporting character are all very likable.

The only small problems I found was that many of the characters actions seemed a little dumbed down, almost as if this book was targeting a younger audience (despite the games M rating). Sometimes the book repeats previous sections of plot to remind you. This was annoying to me. Still, that is not enough to detract from the story, which is very good. Worth Reading.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes futuristic war, blood and gore violence, and a little love story between John(a.k.a. Masterchief) and Cortana his personal artificial intelegents bot. Aliens try to invade and destroy Earth with plasma shots and bombs in a destinguished pattern. Masterchief finds survivors and they hi-jack a covenant ship and try to get back to REach. The other spartansare already on Reach. They and Dr. Halsey discover that there is much more to Reach the thought. The doctor finds old documents and maps of the station at Reach. Find out what happens when Halo is detonated.

SPARTAN-104, Fredrick, twirled a combat knife, his fingers nimble despite the bulky MJOLNIR combat armor that encased his body. The blade traced a complicated series of arcs in the air. The few remaining naval personnel on the deck turned pale and averted their eyes- a Spartan wielding a knife was generally accompanied by the presence of several dead bodies. In the beginning of the book, it starts with twenty-six SPARTANS going to the planet reach and three SPARTANS staying on the space dock. The Master Chief (aka SPARTAN-117) was the leader of the "space op" and Fred (another SPARTAN) was the Red-Team leader on the planet reach. Red-Team thought that they got the easy job, land on Reach and protect the MAC (Magnetically Accelerated Cannon) gun (the cannon uses magnets to pull the projectile) generators. When the Pelican was going to the planet, Covenant Seraphs attacked the drop ship and four Longsword Fighters had to fight them away. Even then, the drop ship didn't have a safe landing. All of the Spartans (26 of them) had to bail going just below Mach 1. Fred told them to them to overload their hydrostatic gel and curl into a ball just before landing. Only four of them were killed from the landing. When the Chief was stuck in a sector of space where there was nothing but "dust and echoes," and the worst part is, they only have a couple of hours of air and they don't have the capabilities of slip space (it would take over five years to get to the nearest planet). Latter in the book the planet Reach is destroyed by the Covenant. The one spot that the Covenant did not "glass over" was full of them. The thing that they were looking for was the "Holy Light." The "Holy Light" is a radioactive mystery crystal. Dr. Halsey got the crystal and all of them ran literally for their lives. Alter they reach an asteroid belt they look for a place to hide from the single Covenant ship that was able to follow them. They found a rebel base and convinced them to repair the ship by blowing up an asteroid the size of their base with one of seven plasma cannons. The covenant fleet catches up with them and the escape again. I recommend this book to anyone who likes the books about HALO.
This book tells about the planet Reach and a little about the book The Flood (another book in the series). This book is not good for a "Quick Read."
If you wondered how Reach was destroyed, read this book. I learned about many things I didn't understand in the other books.
In conclusion, this book was a great read and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

A. Snively

Spartan-104, Fredrick, twirled a combat knife, his fingers nimble despite the bulky MJOLNIR combat armor that encased his body. The blade traced a complicated series of arcs in the air. The few remaining naval personnel on the deck turned pale and averted their eyes- a Spartan wielding a knife was generally accompanied by the presence of several dead bodies. The third book, Halo: First strike, which is a Sci-Fi, starts after the destruction of halo with the Master Chief in a small ship rescuing all the remaining humans. He is in uncharted territory so no one knows were he is. He finds a few survivors and has to get passed three big fighter class Covenant ships. He has to get Cortona, a computer intelligence, to the UNSC headquarters.

I liked this book a lot because it had a bunch of action senses. The action senses were well described with great word usage. I would recommend this book because of the descriptive battle senses and the fact that it is the best of all three Halo books. If you liked the first two books you will love this one. The group I recommend this to the most are teens that like video games (mostly boys) because it is from the video game series Halo. I enjoyed the style of writing very much because of the description. Here is an example, the Brute bellowed, and globules of spit spattered onto the Chief's visor. It leaned closer, screwing its massive hands tighter around his throat. The Chief's vision narrowed. His windpipe swelled, and he gagged. Also, many chapters ended in a cliff hangers which made me keep reading. Here is an example; a thunderous detonation cut her off. The mountain exploded, and ONI's base collapsed over their heads. When I was reading my mind did sometimes wander because at some points in the story all they did was talk about boring stuff like why the ship was not working. Stuff like that.

This book is one of the most amazing books i've ever read. it's got a great depth to it and explain in a discreet way about sociology and friendships. It's a page turner.

This book is defianitely the best book out of all the Night World books, even though each of them are excellent in their own way! I think its just the way that Jez and Morgead's love is so pure and brilliant! Also Jez is so powerful! But Jez and Morgead are so different and them being together could never work, if Morgead knew her secret, that makes me never want to put the book down!

I've been a fan of L.J. Smith's since I first read "Chosen" six years ago. I've read all of her books, including her little known play on the King Authur myth that involves the Fey. I've read all of her trilogies, and the NightWorld books at least twice a piece.

I've even gone back and reread the NightWorld books and have been pleased to see that they still hold up. Even though I'm not a 15 year old girl anymore. My mother even read them and enjoyed them.

The thing I like the most about the L.J Smith books are the heroines and the heroes. Both characters are somehow vastly appealing. Well, save the ones in "Spellbinder" and "Dark Angel".

In "Huntress" the heroine is no aception to L.J. Smith's rule. She's even more of an outsider than Rashel, and is a bit wiser than the Cat. However, she's got a bit of a wild streak, not to mention she's more cunning in her own fashion.

She's sypmathetic and strong at the same time.

However, her hero, Morgred isn't.

Usually, when L.J Smith writes "bad boys" they're so bad they're sinful. Morgred falls short of that. He seems to be a pale copy of Smith's previous heroes Ash and Quinn, except he falls short of their charisma, sympathy, and sheer sexiness. Not to mention he's lacking a personality.

The plot is good and the writing is excellent. However, Morgred keeps the book from getting a perfect rating. Sorry Jez, you tried your best.

I think that Lisa Jane Smith is an exceptional author! behind Tolkien. Like Francine Pascale (author of fearless) she's got this thing that makes you want to go on reading until you've finished the book.Huntress like the rest of the series is a very original story...it's too cool

"Huntress" is the seventh book in the "Night World" series, a range of books concerning the secret going-ons of vampires, witches and shapeshifters in our everyday world. Previously, the books were predominantly love stories between humans and Night World members, but "Huntress" is the book where things begin to get a bit more interesting...

Jez Redfern is confident in her abilities and her life - she spends her nights hunting down humans with her gang for fun, and alternatively flirting/fighting with her second-in-command Morgead Blackthorn. But then a vision disrupts this life forever: she is not a full-blooded vampire, but the daughter of a vampiric father and a human mother. As this knowledge endangers her very life, she abandons her gang, joins the benevolent Circle Daybreak and goes to live with her human relatives.

Several years later, Jez is leading a double-life: attending school by day with her annoying cousin Clare, and hunting her former allies at night under the instructions of the Circle. On this particular night she arrives home (in trouble with her family once more) to find another member of Circle Daybreak in her room: Hugh Davis. Hugh gives her the most important mission yet: a prophecy has risen that describes four "Wild Powers" that are destined to stop the coming apocalypse at the turn of the millennium.

And why has Jez been chosen to find the first of these Wild Powers? - (whose clue to their identity is used for my review's title) - Because someone has come forward claiming knowledge of the first Wild Power, and it's none other than Morgead. She must return to her gang and reclaim leadership, all the time knowing that if her true identity is found out then her life would be forfeit. And there are other darker powers looking for the Wild Power...

"Huntress" is one of the most rewarding books in the "Night World" series, concerning a desperate search, family ties, identity issues, Night World politics, and a growing sense of doom as the apocalypse ticks closer. However, don't get too involved in the characters and their situation - L. J. Smith has never published the last book in this series "Strange Fate" that wraps up the entire story (but as the millenium has come and gone without a hitch, I think we can assume that the good guys were successful).

L. J. gives some nice touches to the mix, with mentions of previous characters and events, plus the actual appearence of a character from "The Chosen", that has an unexplained burn mark that only readers of that previous book will understand. We also get another retelling of the Night World ancient history that fits in nicely to what we already know about Hellewise/Maya/the dragons and all the other eras of history.

At times it feels a bit rushed - Jez has found out her secret and moved in with her human family at the end of three very short chapters, and I'm getting increasingly amused at the ages of the vampires: despite the fact that they are immortal, all of her lamia characters just *happen* to be either seventeen or eighteen years old - where are all the grown-ups?!

Honestly the first time I saw this anime on T.V., I was turned off by the whole crazy psychotic demon stuff. Then I decided to give this anime a chance, and after the first episode, I was hooked. The story is about a girl who falls into a well and she ends up in feudal Japan. Bizzare? Maybe at first, but after a while you'll say, wow that well gos great with the story.
So I decided to purchase the first volume of the manga, and now I will definately say, this is one of my most favorite series. The story involving and thrilling which also leaves for many unexpected events to happen where they end up fighting countless hordes of demons. All in all, this first volume of the manga will make you want to buy volume 2 of this great series.

I ordered the first two of the series.
I was pleased with the fact that they were a pretty good length, but I'm still reeling over the cost!
American dollars are bad. Very bad. Am so broke *droops*.
I love the story very much however, and Inuyasha makes a most adorable villian/good-guy. (confusing isn't it?)
I have shared it with a few of my friends. (Trusted ones mind you. Sooooo expensive to replace!)
They had a lot of reactions ranging from:
*yoink* "I'll see you after Japanese" *runs off clutching book muttering 'My preciousssss'*
To:
"Oh, they aren't very good quality drawings, are they?" *gets head bashed in by me*
And even!:
*Opens first page* "That girl looks really mad. Who is she?"
"Oh! He's a guy??? Are you sure???"
Yes. That really happened. That particular person also mistook Sesshoumaru for a female but I can forgive her for that.
I'd love to buy the rest of the series, but I'm pretty darn sure that I can live without it until the prices go down. One day.

Rumiko Takahashi is the writer of InuYasha, which is known by fans has being a Feudal Fairy Tale. InuYasha is a story about a average schoolgirl who is taken back in time through a well on her family's property. She soon discovers many facts abut herself and her destiny that makes one realize that she in no average schoolgirl. She, with the help of Inuyasha, a half human, half demon hybrid, must gather the shards of a Sacred Jewel that gan give demons enormous amounts of power. Now, one might think that this is just a simple story, that can't be very interesting, but one would be very wrong. InuYasha is a `historical action and romance from one of Japan's most beloved creators' with a touch of gothic horror. What more could one want? With a cast full of interesting characters, and even more interesting villains, anyone reading InuYasha will instantly fall in love with at least one of the characters, and instantly hate a few has well. I myself have read all the books in this series to date (Jan. 7, 2004) that are available. But, if you want to find anymore out about Kagome and Inuyasha's adventures, well... you'll just have to read the book yourself.

Allison R.

"Inu-Yasha" has one of the best stories I've ever read. It starts off simply, maybe a bit generic. From there though, you get to know the characters, and you really do sympathize with them. The relationships between them are not rushed, and the romance is done very well. The story gets better in every volume, too.

Anyone who loves manga should try out Inu-Yasha. It's popular for a reason.

There is a little nudity, but it's not done in a sexual way. Still, it's not something for small children.

Violent, gruesome, nudity. Should be removed from the shelves. My 7 year old son told me he read one of these books that a friend in his second grade class brought in. I purchased a few books in the series and we reviewed one for content. I was horrified to see that it talked about murder, a person saves a bucket of human livers and has to move to another town because he has run out of victims. There were pictures of nude girls on a few of the pages. Although it says it is for Teen on the back cover- Young kids are reading these books. My nephews, who are teens, think these books are for young kids. Most teens are not interested in reading them. Which shows that these books although labeled for teens have a young child audience. I am bringing the books I purchased last night, back to the store this morning.