Middle Ages Books

I did not realize when I bought these books that they were for young adults, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about Alanna's adventures, friends and family. Alanna proved to the men again and again that "anything you can do I can do better". A great message to put out there for young girls. And even though it took me 1 day to read each book I just couldn't stop until I was done!

When I first picked up this book, I was the typical bookworm. I knew every corner of my middle school's library. Most often, I'd find myself in the mythology section or classic plays. However, one day, I took a fateful journey into the fantasy section.
I was 12 years old, timid and accepting of even the worst opinions of me.
When I read it, I was enlightened. A whole five foot one, (four foot eleven at the time), I was keenly aware of her height issues and the jokes her friends made.
The way she shaped her own life made me feel as if I could do the same. And I have. I took control -- or as Alanna would say "rode the tiger" and I've made my own way in the world and I don't think anyone would call me timid now.
I'm in college now, and I know if I start to feel down or like I'm losing confidence in myself, I can just pick up my old worn out copy of Alanna (or any of the subsequent sequels) and feel better, feel like a stronger woman because of it. Tamora Pierce was a saint for writing this book. Sometimes I even feel like she wrote it just for me!

Is no one bothered by the essential lack of values in this book? Getting what you want is more important than honesty or respect for others. The main character threatens others with horrible, supernatural punishment, tricks her father, lies outrightly, and that's just in the first chapter.
What about integrity, justice, truth as foundations of doing right?
Compare this heroine with Jonas in The Giver, Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, Andy in Wolf Rider, or Karana in The Island of the Blue Dolphins.

I thought this book was wonderful. However, it is not appropriate for children under 14. The reading level is not that difficult, but the content is for upper grades. This book inadvertently appeared on my daughter's third grade reading list. She did not understand why Alanna's sheet were "smeared with blood" She also had lots of questions about fertility cycles, sleeping with men and getting pregnant.

This book started with a great IDEA. I liked the idea of Allana becoming a knight in her brothers place. It sounds like a book that can have SO MANY possibilites. However, the auther's choppy writing and typing errors were just sad. The author moves from one scene to the next, with no flow whatsoever, and simply skims the surface of the character's identity. There is no depth, and no description. It is almost a simple statement of facts throughout the whole book. Though I really want to know what happens in the series, and HOPE very much that the auther's writing has improved, I think I'll just look at the library for the rest of the series.

This is an excellent story and easy read for preteens and adults alike. The lead character's misadventures are hilarously funny gems with little morals tucked inside. I would recommend this to anyone who has a middle schooler at home. Also, Amazon delivered this item as promised, at a fair price, securely packed and in excellent condition. I will order future books through Amazon due to their superior service.

First book in the Wimpy Kid series.

Greg keeps a journal to record the events of his first year in middle school. He writes about getting put into teh gifted reading group, " I was pretty disappointed to find out I got put in the Gifted group, because that just means a lot of extra work."

Greg wonders about popularity and grades as he tries to figure out who he wants to be. His family doesn't help--his older brother is a creep and his younger brother tattles constantly. His parents, well, they are simply clueless. his best friend, Rowley, is not the sharpest crayon in the box and Greg is always trying, and failing, to explain the complicated rituals of adolescence. For instance, "I have told Rowley at least a billion times that now that we're in middle school, you're supposed to say 'hang out,' not 'play.' But no matter how many noogies I give him, he always forgets the next time.

The book is written on lined paper, with lots of funny little drawings, so it really feels like reading someone's journal. Greg's voice is fresh and funny.

My 10-year old daughter says " I loved this book because it was funny. I could not put it down. I can't wait to read the next one!"

WITH 4 CHILDREN, AGES 7 TO 13, A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES WERE SPENT IN NEAR SILENCE. ALL ENJOYED ESPECIALLY THE 12 AND 13 YEAR OLD BOYS. THE VOICE OF THE READER IS OBVIOUSLY A GROWN MAN (wish it was a youthful voice) BUT THE KIDS DIDN'T SEEM TO MIND.

Jeff Kinney took a simple idea and turned it into a hilarious book that kids and adults will find funny. Short passages are accompanied by stick people drawings that add a double punch of humor. Sometimes you'll laugh at the writing, sometimes at the hidden jokes, and many times at the choice of pictures. Diary of a Wimpy Kid will take you through one year in the life of well...a wimpy kid...his bully brother...and his semi-"special" friend Rowley.

As a 38-year old I found myself fondly remembering my own days of "wimpy kid-dom" and some of the similar situations that our hero ends up in. It's a fast read and you'll read this book with a smile on your face. Then do yourself a favor and pass it along to a child from 10-15 and have them read it.

I've lived in Pennsylvania all of my life but I never knew too much about the Johnstown flood. Now that I've read McCullough's book, I'm hooked on the story and I'm getting to the flood museum as soon as I can.

This is an incredible story set in another time, yet I couldn't help be reminded what Katrina did to the New Orleans area and how similar these stories are. Man, in all of his wisdom, relies on those around him to ensure that their great works are safely monitored. The Johnstown flood provides historical proof that we shouldn't be quite so trusting.

I love ordering stuff off Amazon. It is so easy and affordable. I'm in the middle of this book right now but so far so good. Lots of great history.

David McCullough tells a compelling story of this tragic event. As always, he does a thorough job and gets behind just the basics of the story he is telling. It is a wonderful presentation of history.

McCullough once again proves his talent for making history enjoyable with the Johnstown Flood. His book is very readable, but does not skimp out on the details. The aftermath portion of the book gets a little long, but the build-up and actual flood descriptions more than make up for it. I was entertained and taught at the same time.

This early McCullough book provides a look at one of the most catastrophic disasters to strike America. The Johnstown Flood destroyed more than 2500 lives and changed the landscape of western Pennsylvania. It moved the nation towards relief efforts and spurred a country to act on behalf of their common man. As always the author captures the people and the time in stunning clarity and really puts the reader there giving them a first person perspective on what happened to the people. After living in Pennsylvania for more than six years I found that few people really knew about the flood but this book does an excellent job of filling the blanks. If you want to see a trying story told in wonderful detail this is the place to start.

Received this book in a timely fashion, arrived as expected. A little used but nothing that would disuade me from buying again.

I was skeptical about this book at first...but the storyline pulled me in. And I must say I'm happy I was pulled in.

Kudos to the author for coming up with not only this storyline, but the strong character/heroine behind the story. I don't know if there are many women out there who could've endured "the price of passion"....

Compelling storyline...you'll be engrossed from the first chapter to the last!!!

Where do I start? Where do I begin? Well for one thing, don't be fooled by the title of this book(smile). Ms. Palfrey is an excellent writer, and excellent storyteller. I first read this book in the late 90's early 2000's, and I have to say that it's better the second time around. Ms. Palfrey's style of writing is so down to earth, it's like you can visualize what she has to say. "Walter" needed his"%&@" kicked for all that drama he put "Vivian" through, and she's a class act for just dealing with him. "Marc"....whatta man,whatta man!!! Chapter sixteen where they (Marc and Vivian) finally do the do was so spicy that I had to throw cold water on my face!!! All the other characters in the book are exceptional as well, and "Sondra" from "Three Perfect Men" was an added treat. This novel started my love for Evelyn Palfrey books.

Walter is a very Passionate man. Walter also feels the need to spread the love to other's, woman outside his marriage especially. Being a Politician he is labeled as a person with a lot of power. Woman fall for men with money and power, plus Passion made him iresistable. His wife Vivian of ninteen year's married him for all the same reason's. But what is Vivian suppose to do when Walter birngs home a baby out side of the marriage? Should she stay or should she leave? If you were in this situation what would you do?

This book was good. I couldn't stop reading the book! Walter, man, if I was Vivian he wouldn't be alive! This was an awesome book. 5 stars!

This book is sorely lacking an afterward describing the historical background and/or references. If it's based in reality, why the need to fictionalize the story? The actions of the Israelis appeared either unmotivated by any logic or out-and-out sadistic. The book did not build to a logical climax and resolution. The author started many plot strands that simply fizzled out--Jamal's strange behavior about the necklace, for instance, and his need of a picture of Violette. The scene where Karim studies history would have been a good place to add some objective history of the region, if the author had wanted to.

"A Little Piece of Ground" is the story of Karim Aboudi, 12, a soccer buff and computer game junkie. Like so many boys his age, Karim hopes one day to do just what he likes without parents, big brothers, or teachers telling him what to do. Unlike many other boys, though, Karim lives under Israeli occupation in Ramallah, Palestine.

"A Little Piece of Ground" shows what life is like for Palestinians who see their homes destroyed by Israeli bulldozers or face road blocks, military check points, and embarrassing strip searches, simply while trying to get to work or school.

As the story begins, Karim is confined in his small apartment, where his taunting brother, pesky sisters, and protective parents give him no rest. A two-week curfew ordered by the Israeli military prevents Karim from going to school, visiting his best friend Joni, or playing soccer with his pals. That is, until the curfew lifts and his buddies discover a wrecked space near the refugee camps, "a little piece of ground," that the boys rebuild as a soccer field. As the boys struggle to reclaim a space where they can be free, their effort symbolizes the struggle to liberate Palestine.

This book is a great book for any teen or adult. It gives the reader a great persepective of daily life in the Palestinian territories. It shows that children are children even under the most brutal of occupations. Like all children, they are growing up, trying to get independence, underestimating the dangers they face, boys liking girls, getting preoccupied with wether their friends are cool or not, boys wanting to play soccer, or computer games or whatever. All this under the shadow of Israeli collective punishment.
I wish there were more books that show the rest of the world the realities of life in the occupied territories.

This book is an authentic account of the circumstances that prevailed in Ramallah in the year 2000 and how Palestinian children were influenced by them. The main character aspires to be a champion soccer star and all he wants to do is play, play, play with his friends. The ground he lives on keeps shrinking under his feet as he and his teenage friends clear the rubble froma small lot near a refugee camp to make a soccer field. They come face to face with Israeli soldiers and tanks and are nearly killed. They survive and go on.For the first time we have a vivid and well written account of Palestinian children as human beings.

'A Little Piece of Ground' is a moving story that depicts the human aspect of the Palestinian struggle for freedom. Through the eyes of Karim, a 12-year-old Palestinian boy living in captivity, Elizabeth Laird captures the endless suffering of the Palestinian people under the Israeli occupation. This book is a pressing reminder that Palestinians, both young and old, continue to long for freedom.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to hear the story told from the other side, the side that is rarely heard in the American media.

I probably would have liked this book a little more if I had read it before I read Ravished; it just seemed like a rehash of that book, only in a medieval setting instead of nineteenth century.

Also, the purple prose bordered on the silly side at times, making it hard to read with a straight face.

this book is fun to read. one of the only medeival books written by amanda quick.high in action.

This is definitely my favorite AQ novel. I won't go into a breakdown of the book, but I will say that besides enjoying the story, I learned more about how life was during that time.

A great read for any Medival novel or Amanda Quick fan!

I love these 1-title books from Amanda Quick. I know they are not a series, but each book has some similarities, but she always keeps it fresh!

I cannot believe all of the 5 and 4 star ratings for this book! I couldn't wait for it to end. Very formula and hoaky dialogue. If this is any indication of how Amanda Quick writes her best-selling novels, I think I'll pass up the next opportunity to read another. The purple prose was forced and ridiculous. If this was supposed to be a satire or comedy, it missed the mark and just came across as incredibly stupid.

"He found the valley that divided the luscious hillocks and followed its course to the hot spring that awaited him." (The words of Hugh the Relentless.)--Even though this is a medievil romance--way too hoaky.

"A cold, ghostly wind wafted from the dark corridor. It carried before it the promise of doom." (this is describing Hugh entering a dark cave and Alice, the heroine senses his presence by mental telepathy or something. OH PLEASE!

"Hugh was vengeance incarnate, a dark wind that would sweep all before it."

And these ridiculous passages were easy to find--they're everywhere in this book.

I say don't bother with this one.

Carved in Sand by Cathryn Jakobson Ramin is a must read for anyone interested in how the brain functions and what happens as it ages.

Chock full of valuable information and presented in a highly readable style this book will take its place on your reference shelf for frequent revisits as it has mine.

What is especially extraordinary about Ramin is that she is completely honest about the results of what she calls a series of "Interventions" into the world of improving brain power. For
instance she finds that meditation doesn't work for her. Hallelujah! It doesn't work for me either. At last someone I could identify with instead of wondering what was wrong with me.

Ramin's journey through the research into the brain and the methods and drugs used today to help with problems is fascinating, educational and a great read.

Ms. Ramin's book is a fun, informative and sometimes scary ride down memory lane. One part scientific research and another part a personal quest of what was happening to her, she does a fine job of balancing the two in an easy to read style. It helped me to understand certain aspects of aging. Well worth reading for some peace of mind.

This is a fascinating book by a fabulous writer, who has put her finger on a hot button topic for all of us approaching that age when sometimes obvious answers don't come quite as quickly and car keys become elusive objects.
I found the anecdotal and scientific passages illuminating, and felt some (cold!) comfort from the fact that so many of my 45-50+ peers are experiencing similar memory stops n' starts. My friends and family and I have definitely started to heed the book's practical advice given on how to boost and maintain memory efficiency. I would heartily recommend this timely publication to all those in the big group that it addresses, IF you can remember to buy it the next time you're on Amazon or in a bookstore! Write "buy" on a post-it note and stick it on your computer or in your wallet!
R.Sherman, Los Angeles

This book is an extremely entertaining and informative look at how our brains function and what we can do to keep them doing so. I've bought numerous copies and given them to various 50+-something friends, all of whom have enjoyed the book as much as I did. Highly recommended.

Carved in Sand has graced my "Top 10 List of Books to Read" and the stack on my nightstand for the past several months.
This past weekend, it made its way into my hands and I can't put it down! Solidly planted into my "fifty-something" years, my thoughts turn toward aging in the best of health and with dignity.
Memory loss and the inability to focus a big concern that hovers over many of us.
Your book is a gift.
One I plan to give to sisters, cousins & friends.
Jackie R.

I have read a lot of self help books over the years (I'm over 50) and this is the best one to come out in a long time. If you are at all unhappy with any aspect of your life or ready to make change for whatever reason, this book is a "must read". =)

As I read the case studies in this book, I recognized many of my peers who are in need of the resources that the author provides for developing a renewed personal passion for life. Anyone trying to energize the search for personal direction for the next life stage will appreciate the specific suggestions and examples. I have read this book twice already. Another book that I recommend is" The Five People You Meet in Heaven", and "He Never Called Again."

Her book is magic! Best of all, she is an author who genuinely cares about her readers! An amazingly kind and knowledgable person. Do yourself (and Suzanne)a favor and buy this book. You will absolutlely love it. I am a real fan of hers: you will be also if you read her books.

A dear friend of mine gave me this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Dr. Zoglio does an excellent job of describing the keys to happiness. Long ago, I independently arrived at many of the same conclusions about happiness, but I have never been able to articulate them as clearly and simply as Dr. Zoglio does in her book. While reading it, I found myself underlining text and writing notes on almost every page. I have subsequently bought my friend her own copy and also bought copies for my two grown-up children with the hope that the book will "tickle" them, too.

I was a little disappointed in this book. I had expected something original and different. It seemed to be a summary of books I had already read. The ideas were good and there was nothing wrong with the book but it was nothing new. I really didn't find one idea that wasn't similar to something I had heard or read before.

This book cries out for a different rating system - perhaps a 1-10 scale. Even then one would have to reward an "11" for this magnificent tome. I could not find a single flaw in the entire reading - character development and portrayal was realistic yet unforgettable, the setting mesmerizing (one is instantly transported back to the time of the Inquisition and the faith-filled, simple lives of the city dwellers) and the plot was perfect.

I have read criticism that the tale was not realistic or made suppositions and assumptions that are not exactly correct in the historical sense. But what one should remember is that this tale is an allegory, not a documentary. The fictional city is in Spain and the Inquisition is at its high point when a stranger appears. He is intelligent, interesting, and friendly but an unbeliever. He tells of a land in which belief is arbitrary and where one can change their religion - or choose to have no religion at all. This is too much for Church officials for in their eyes murder, torture and lying can be forgiven but also blessed. A trial of sorts is proposed.

Now we have the second story and the joy is how the two are seemlessly weaved into one arc. A child found among the wolves is being raised by nuns. She is not to be given any religious instruction and if she comes to a belief in a Supreme Being the visitor will be found guilty, otherwise he will be judged to be innocent.

The battle is not between atheist and believer. It is a civil war between two schools of thought within Catholicism - the plain folk and their local leaders and a grand inquisitor who employs "unusual" methods for "protecting the faith". The wolf-girl finally is made to make a statement that can be interpreted as belief and Palindo, the visitor, is tortured to confession. When he refuses to follow this up with another confession (which would then validate the previous "confession") he is sentenced to be burned alive at the stake. A lowly follower trades all her material goods for a balm that will bring instant death upon being heated.

The aftermath is a short but appealing denouement. The bishop's assistant announces he cannot believe in a God that seeks obedience through torture. The wolf-girl returns to her solitary mountain home but not before catching a glimpse of a vast naval armada from the foreign land streaming toward the city that burned its citizen. The rewards of sin...

While I can't top Avid's review (see below) for insight and eloquence, I can say that this book will appeal to you even if you're not normally the type interested in vast philosophical questions. Part of Jill Patton Walsh's triumph is that she makes the discussion of ideas so accessible. One truly feels drawn into the world of this tiny Spanish island and the people who live there. And one does not have to be a literary genius to realize that the structuring of this novel is nothing less than symphonic in its brilliance.

I won't reveal the powerful, throbbing revelation that lies at the core of the novel. Know, though, that this book will almost certainly spark your imagination and challenge your assumptions about faith, life and, indeed, the universe.

This story is an especially pertinent discussion of religious intolerance, and how to live a beautiful, joyful, inquisitive life in the face of it. A revealing look at the genuine sources of wonder life grants us.

Knowledge of Angles by Jill Paton Walsh is one of the best books of our time. Its richly illustrated plot was truly unique. We read this book for a high school English class and both agreed that it was one of the best books we've ever read. The story of a wolf-girl slowly interwines with that of a man unjustly persecuted because of his beliefs. A young girl, raised by wolves, is captured by men and brought into the human society. A kindly boy finds help from the Cardinal who in turn decides to perform a religious experiment with her. She is brought to a secluded cloister where she is to be kept without any mention of God in her presence. In this way, the Cardinal tries to find out if there is actually a high spirit, that seems to guide you. This careful experiment soon leads to surprises, that would best have been left unknown. The story of a wrongly persucuted man makes "The Knowledge of Angles" even more amazing. Palinor, a king from an unknown "perfect world" fell off a boat and swam to a nearby island. He is immediatly thought to be an athiest because he neither knows that God exists, or knows that He doesn't. Palinor was put into prison, then released and taken to talk to the Cardinal. His arguments are so convincing that he even has the Cardinal somewhat doubting his faith. The two stories come together to create a very important theme, one of love, hate, God, and sympathy.

Every single chapter ends with an astonishing line that makes you want to stop and think, to contemplate yet at the same time has introduced a quiet shocking revelation that there is nothing to do but read on, and read and read. The book is clever, is wise but not judgemental. It touches the heart, the soul but is neither sloppy nor politically philosophical. A book to fall in love with, i recommend it to all.

My twelve year old daughter and I listened to this book together, and in a rare instance of complete agreement, we both pronounced it EXCELLENT. We repeatedly found ourselves engaged painlessly in converation about what should have been difficult themes, such as all the different "wars" in Holling's life, the Shakespearean notion that conflict and humor can exist in the same time and place, lost opportunities, etc. Whether this book is a "winner" in literary circles is an issue I will leave to the experts. What I can say without reservation is that the book is truly a "winner" in terms of young person enjoyment and in terms of potential for readily sparking important conversation.

This is the first book I've read by Schmidt and I stayed up late just to finish it. There are many things I loved about this book. For one, Holling seems just like any ordinary 7th grade kid but then through his periods with Mrs Baker, he develops into a remarkable young man. Family life during the 1960s to early 1970s was also vastly different. Children were not as spoiled and usually listened to their parents even though they may have felt some resentment. I also liked the way Schmidt allowed the humour of so many situations in the book to surface so much so that I believe that most kids, boys especially would enjoy this book. I am now going to try and find a copy of Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy!

On the suggestion of a friend who has excellent taste in books, I bought this book for my eleven year old son, who's appetite for books exceeds what I can keep up with! It was so gripping that he sat up until two in the morning to finish the book. (I can sympathize; I've done that!) His review (five stars) for the library book club was so enthusiastic that the next night I sat up until two in the morning to read it! This is probably the best recent children's book I've found! I loved it! And it gently introduces topics such as racism, the Vietnam war, bullying, determination and self-sacrifice that parents can discuss with their children. Kids love the book because it's witty and has a great story. Then again, I loved it for that too! So four thumbs up, two from me and two from my son!

Wonderful, refreshing, silly, plausible...I loved this book and highly recommend it for children and adults. It's a quick read with clean verbage. How unusual!

Wow! If I could give this book 6 stars-I would. I have read lots of middle school books, and yes a few have been excellent. This one was nearly impossible for me to put down. The book was so funny in parts, that I had a difficult time trying to stop laughing. Other parts were exciting, touching, a bit sad, and very thought provoking. Yes, this book is easy to read, but not at all shallow by any stretch of the imagination. It really has a lot to say, but does it in a subtle non-preachy way.

I think anyone grades 5 or up would love this book. The book is told through the eyes of a 7th grade boy, and it is comes across so real it is impossible not to have a connection with this character. You don't have to be a middle school teacher or an avid reader to love this book. It is one of those very few books that knocks down all walls and invites all readers to enter.