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News Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

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Amazing Days Of Abby Hayes, The #04: Have Wheels, Will Travel
Published in Paperback by Scholastic Paperbacks (2001-04-01)
Author: Anne Mazer
List price: $4.99
New price: $0.80
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $10.00

Average review score:

The Coolest Book Ever !!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2009-05-21
Out of all the books I read this year the one I loved the most was The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes! It all starts out when Abby saw a pair of beautiful shiny roller skates. But the problem is that they cost $140!! That was a lot for Abby. So she tried everything to get the money. Abby starts a lemonade stand and earns $4.75. By the end of the week she earned $8.00. After one month she has a total of $32.00. But she wastes all the money. Abby just keeps on trying to get those roller skates. Will she make the money to get the roller skates? You'll have to read the book to find out the ending! Go out and read it! You will love it.

by: M.A.

Teaching Saving Toward a Goal...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-30
Poor Abby Hayes! Every time she receives money she ends up spending it. She is having such a hard time saving up for her new rollerblades!

I like that Abby is not always spending her money on herself, but sometimes spends it on friends. Toward the end, this idea is again repeated when she has extra money that she chooses to spend on friends, teachers, and family. Appreciating others is a nice subtle message in this book.

The book has a mixture of text and diary like entries which makes it fun for kids to read. Abby tries a few different ways to earn money which are nicely woven into the story. I am always on the look out for books using a fictional story to teach children about money (as they seem to be fairly rare). This was certainly a worthy find.

Curly brown hair
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-20
I am a BIG fan of this series. This book acutally gave me the idea of having a garage sale. So,Abby wants new rollerblades,not Eva's(her SuperSis who is a twin)rollerblades. The ones that she wants are dark and shiney but best of all,they have purple wheels with a swirling,bright desing that would flash when they turned. Abby just has to have them...but how. She does her chores,looks on the streets for money,washes her dad's car and, takes care of Marshmallow(her neighbor's cat).She's going out of town for a week and when Heather(name of the neighbor) comes back she will give her $10.Perfect...until Marshmallow escapes. Uh-oh,wants a 10 year old girl to do? Read it for yourself.

Anson Y.'s book review. HK.< I HATE rollerblades! >
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-10
This is a great book, although I HATE to play rollerblade. Abby planned a garage sale and save money to buy herself some rollerblades with purple wheels!( Purple was Abby's favourite colour. So am I!)

P.S.:Question:Do people actually save money to buy rollerblades?I wonder who.

Before the garage sale, Abby did many things, but she only got a few dollars. So at the gargage sale, she earned $162.75! She could buy rollerblades,new pads and presents for her friends
and family who had help her while she earn money. At the end, she still have little money for herself.(PHOO!)

ABBY HAYES CAN DO ANYTHING!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-11
In the fourth book in the series, Abby Hayes has hand-me-down rollerblades from her older SuperSis, Eva. Abby hates them, she can barely take them off! So she decides to save her money. Many unexpected things happen in the process, and someone in her family takes a trip to the emergency room! Abby finally gets an idea where she earns more than enough money to buy shiny purple rollerblades she has had her eye on for a while. I loved this book because it is so interesting to see how Abby resists the urge to spend money and how she finally accomplishes her goal. Read this book today!

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Andominii - Journey to the Perfect World
Published in Paperback by Lance Dixon Publishing (1999-07-29)
Author: Lance Dixon
List price: $18.95
New price: $32.74
Used price: $0.96
Collectible price: $18.95

Average review score:

Expect Big Things From Lance Dixon.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-08
Andominii is a great first effort by Lance Dixon. His talent is reminiscent of Richard Bach, author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, who has the rare ability of being able to entertain and enlighten readers all at the same time. Lance's remarkable insights into truth, combined with formadable story telling capabilities and a genuine gift for verse, result in truly moving passages. Expect big things from Lance Dixon in both his life and his work.

Moving and insightful
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-30
A moving and insightful book. The author weaves a wonderful tapestry of modern day fable. As I turned the pages, this book consistently ecouraged me to re-examine myself and the superficial success that we all believe we should achieve. The lesson is powerful - it is one that you internally discover while reading, rather than a lesson prescribed by the author.

A delightful tale of the journey we are all on
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-23
Different from others in its genre in that it neither preaches sacrifice nor promises salvation through textbook lesson. This story instead almost subliminally challenges you to find the success that we all crave.

I simply found it next to impossible to put this beautifully written book down.

Absolutley fantastic!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-10
A magnificant book - - for its simplicity and for its truth. I am confident that every reader of this book will find that it helps them find the meaning of their life - - their Success.

A beautifully written story of how to be the best you can be
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-08
If you are reading about Andominii and the online reviews...and are wondering if you should purchase this book...do not hesitate...purchase the book and read it. You are fortunate that your journey brought you to this website and to this book.

You will be very happy that you read this book - for many reasons - on many levels.

This book is a must read for all of those who want to live truthfully and want to be the best they can be everyday -- this book will provide you with the understanding to do so.

Lance, Thank you for putting into words - that which is most important.

What a gift to the world this book is - please share it with someone. Thank you, Roy. It was my pleasure - and a privilege to have read Andominii.

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Baby Cakes
Published in Board book by Little Simon (2006-09-05)
Author: Karma Wilson
List price: $7.99
New price: $3.47
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Average review score:

great book to share with your grandchild or childM
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-12
My 2 yr old granddaughter had borrowed this book from the library and enjoyed it so much and was so devastated at having to return it, so i purchased it for her.

The rhyming is pleasant, the premise is pleasant. It makes you giggle and interact with the child. Although my granddaughter can only recognize a few letters she can "read" the entire book by herself now as she has it memorized. I reccomend this book. it is sturdy for little hands, illustrations are simple yet lovely, and it is interactive if you choose it to be!

Cute book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-13
This is a really cute book to read to your little one. Pictures are adorable and story allows you to interact with your kid(s)!

We LOVE it!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-10
My 14-month-old little girl can't get enough of this book! We have a stuffed Pooh bear that she mimics the motions with. She even tries to sing along (previous reviewer was right; it's hard to just read and not sing this book!). I only wish it came with a bear like the one in the book. Now THAT would be too cute! I hope to see more Wilson/Williams collaborations in the future!

A sweet little book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2009-03-26
This book is a nice size to hold with large pictures. It is a sweet little book with pleasant rhyming words. If you memorised the words you could just sing it as a song and do the actions with your baby "nibble little babycakes on the feet, oh my little babycakes tastes so sweet".

Baby Cakes.... I Love YOU! Yes, I do1
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-23
My wife purchased this for our 13 month old, and it has been a staple of their bedtime routine for the last 11 months. We'll catch her repeating some of the lines and performing the actions ("Yeah for Little Baby Cakes... Clap, Clap, Clap!"). The words flow with such ease, and the graphic images are simple for both adult and child eyes.

one recommendation - buy this in the stiff board book format (I'm not sure if other formats exist). If your kid starts to love the book, they might want to chew on it...

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The Peloponnesian War. With Introductory Essays. (A Bantam classic)
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Bantam Books, New York (1960)
Author: Thucydides
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Average review score:

Lessons that are to be applied today more than ever.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2009-01-02
My edition is an old Penguin paperback

"For the power of Athens rests on mercenaries rather than on her own citizens; we, on the other hand, are less likely to be affected on this way, since our strength is on men rather than on money." This could have been said also by the proud Japanese up until the bomb was dropped in WWII, or by the Taliban of the Left or the Muslim suicide-bombers of today.

"This is a peculiarity of ours: we do not say that a man who takes no interest in politics is a man who minds his own business; we say that he has no business here at all." said by the Athenians. Both quotes speak volumes of the views they held of their own societies.

And Pericles himself: "My own opinion is that when the whole state is on the right course it is a better thing for each individual than when private interests are satisfied but the state as a whole is going downhill. However well off a man may be in his private life, he will still be involved in the general ruin if his country is destroyed." The Cubans, North Koreans should not miss the significance of what is said here. And doesn't well off sound very much like well fare? If (almost) everybody is poor is it more just than some be poor and others rich? So for the sake of fairness we all are going poorer in the West, spiritually, culturally, and therefore economically.

And what about Pericles' foreign policy? "I prefer the man who stands up to danger rather than the one who runs away from it ... Your empire is now like a tyranny: it may have been wrong to take it; it is certainly dangerous to let it go ... Those who are politically apathetic can only survive if they are supported by people who are capable of taking action [that goes for the American Left and the American military respectively]. They are quite valueless in a city which controls an empire, though they would be safe slaves in a city that would be controlled by others." And who is going to control the world today is the USA refuses to? No wonder Athens declined once Pericles was out of the picture.

Now a good response to the isolationist utopias of Libertarians: "It is a general and necessary law of nature to rule wherever one can. This is not a law that we (Athenians) made ourselves, nor were we the first to act upon it when it was made. We found it already in existence, and we shall leave it to exist for ever among those who come after us ... we know that you or anybody else with the same power as ours would be acting in precisely the same way."

The book is very dense, but intense. It has to be read slowly, in little sips, or else it can become tiresome. The speeches are glorious stuff. The images vivid, as could only be from a man who played a military role during the events narrated. The actions, tactics, comings-and-goings can become dizzying, but overall it is a imperishable classic that should be read by anyone who claims a right to vote and by those who call ourselves citizens and not lackeys or serfs.

Great buy for your Kindle
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-18
I bought this for a few pennies to have on my Kindle; it would not have otherwise made it onto my purchase list for paper books. On the Kindle it was an enjoyable and enlightening read. Previous customer reviews give ample detail regarding its significance and its relevance to modern times.

Read in conjunction with The Odyssey or The Iliad, it's easy to see how many of the battles fought between Athens, Sparta, and their surrogates could have become epic tales and poems in their own right. The history of the Peloponnesian War almost acts as a historical counterweight and literary jumping off point for more deeply appreciating the Homeric poems.

It is an amazing and well written factual history that adds another dimension to the fictional literature of ancient Greece.

Greatest of All Greek Historians
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-25
The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.). Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history. This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire. Thucydides as a master storyteller does not just cover the battle scenes; he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen. He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records. This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times. President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans. Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I heartily recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history. I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides."

a pioneering genius of history and the political science of war
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-27
It is always difficult and challenging to pick up what is regarded as a classic and read through it in a naive manner, not as a specialist but as an amateur who just wants to learn. There are always surprises.
In contrast to the looser Herodotus, his near contemporary, Thucydides sought to record an "objective truth" of the great war between Athens and Sparta, in the 5C BC. He consulted multiple sources and carefully judged what to include and what not to include, ito establish an idea of what really happened. While some of the forms, such as elaborately made-up speeches as a study in rhetoric, differ from what we would do today, he set a new standard for accuracy. THe result is a work of genius, the first serious attempt at writing history rather than merely storytelling.

Reading this is not always fun. There are long sections that are lists of occurences, with references to individuals who appear and disappear without followup. But there are also penetrating analyses of remarkable characters, such as Perikles, Alcibiades, and other great generals, who became reference points to the present day. Thucydides also broached the subject of political science as history - how institutions actually functioned - in new ways, with demonstrations of how the unleashing of passions led to their corruption or distortion. Finally, there are chilling sections with timeless insight in human conduct in war, with the full horror of the breakdown of all order and law.

THis translation is also sufficintely readable, far better than the turbid one I first read in college. THucydides is quite eloquent in this version.

Recommended as one of the great classics of Western literature. It is a work of genius so great that it is still relevant and vivid.

Good source for history class
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-10
I used this book for an introductory History class. It is a great supplement to the study of the Greek periods. It has a nice glossory in the back for unusual terms, as well as helpful maps. Some of the text is a bit dry, but the reading is not very difficult.

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Betsy-Tacy and Tib (Betsy and Tacy Books)
Published in Paperback by HarperCollins (1979-06-01)
Author: Maud Hart Lovelace
List price: $5.99
New price: $1.95
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $15.00

Average review score:

a joy to return to
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2009-04-12
I read this as a child and just re-read it, probably 40 years later. Have done this before with other Lovelace books and enjoyed the nostalgic voyage, but this one stands out. The location descriptions, the plot twists, and the serious substantial themes woven throughout about what families are, provincialism and the damage it can do, how children can lead their parents to expand their viewpoints, I found myself quite impressed, all the while having a wonderful time immersed in Deep Valley again.

What can one say about perfection?
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-27
[...]

The url above lists ALL Maud Hart Lovelace's books (including ones for grown-ups, some of which she even wrote along with "Joe"!). But of course the Betsy-Tacy series are for grown-ups, too! :-) I agree with everything everyone's written! Utter joie! What I love about these books is how boys and girls, and then young men and young women, HUNG OUT together (how Julia-of-the-thousand-beaus advises her sister Betsy not to hold a boy's hand because that was being "spooney"!). There is a kiss or two exchanged in this series, but don't tell anyone! How Julia's beau would give Betsy and her friends a dime to get rid of them! Ha ha! The PAIN of love is so well recounted, jealously, lessons learned -- remember how in highschool a few of the girls (Betsy the ringleader) form a "sorority" and how this cuts them off from people and the pain they suffer in this discovery? Remember the goatgirl, the Syrian Village...how they could roam their whole world, safe and free? What one reviewer said about rereading them and finding new gems each time... Ah, yes! Every true gem, when you turn it, dazzles with new sparkles. God bless Maud Hart Lovelace!

Look at the Wordsworth poem with which she chooses to set the very first book off ("Betsy Tacy"):

There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight,
To me did seem
Apparell'd in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream

The first Betsy-Tacy book with Tib
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-01
I grew up on the Betsy, Tacy, Tib novels as a child. I followed the adventures and drama of Betsy, Tacy, and Tib as children and all the way until they were in college. "Betsy-Tacy and Tib" is the follow up to the popular "Betsy-Tacy". The book pretty much picks up where "Betsy-Tacy" leaves off. In this book, the girls get a third friend named Tib, a cute blonde girl who had moved to Deep Valley with her family from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It didn't take very long for the two girls to hit it off with Tib.
It quickly becomes apparent that Tib is more adventurous and free-spirited which gets Betsy and Tacy into heaps of trouble but what young girl didn't get into trouble at their age? "Betsy Tacy and Tib" is an equally wonderful follow up to this classic series. The introduction to Tib is well written and a real treat.

The best book ever
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-06
This book is about some basic nine year old girls just trying to have fun in many adventures like begging for cookies. It's one of the best books I have read.IT'S A MUST. I REPEAT MUST BUY!

Still a warm spot in my heart
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-04
The Betsy,Tacy and Tib books were among my favorites when I was a child. In fact--except for the Oz books--they were the only books whose author's name I remembered! Images from all these books remain vivid in my memory--Betsy and Tacy going to the top of the hill, the twosome becoming a threesome, Tib's blond hairs, and all the rest. Betsy, Tacy, and Tib grew up in a simpler era but they still speak to modern readers. I'm so glad to see these books still in print for another generation to enjoy.

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Bill Peet an Autobiography
Published in Paperback by Scholastic (1989-01-01)
Author: Bill Peet
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New price: $2.14
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Average review score:

Review of Bill Peet: An Autobiography
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-29
This is an excellent book detailing Bill Peet's life from a small town in Indiana to becoming an award-winning children's book writer/illustrator.

A wonderful biography for children and adults
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-21
I am a children's librarian and I am often perusing our collection for items that look interesting. I recently discovered an extremely old copy of "Capyboppy" by Bill Peet and absolutely loved it! As a result, I decided to look for other titles and realized we had his illustrated autobiography. His drawings are heartfelt and comforting and his (seemingly) effortless talent is stunning. His description of various parts of his life are engaging and I believe that children and adults will enjoy the book equally. I can't recommend this book enough.

Bill Peet Shines
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-09
Bill Pete started out as a daydreaming, doodling boy, and made it all the way to Walt Disney! Bill was born in Grandview and was raised in Indianapolis. He lived happily with his Mother, two brothers, and grandmother. His father was a traveling salesman, and didn't really come into his life until later. Ever since Bill was young, he loved to draw. During class, he would doodle in between the margins, and his books were a big favorite amongst the other kids when he sold them as second-hand. His childhood was fun filled, and he had some big hopes and dreams. First of all, he wanted to go on a safari and sketch the animals, but most of all, he wanted to be an artist. One day, in the summer of 1928, Bill's father returned "home" broke, travel weary, and demanding money. After arguing for many days, Bills mother gave in and paid his father. With that, his father drove away. Not long after that, Bill's grandmother tragically died, which put the family in complete shambles. They had to move, and everything changed. The Great Depression started, and Bills father kept taking money, so he kept them poor. Bill went through school well as a student, graduated, and went to college. That was when the work became harder. Bill was facing flunking some of his classes. One night, he ran into an old friend from school, and was persuaded to start taking some arts classes. Bill began painting, and it is there that he met his beautiful wife Margaret Brunst with which he eventually had two sons. He graduated with flying colors, and took a job as a painter. Finally, he realized he didn't have a steady income, and applied for Walt Disney Productions. He became a good friend of Walt Disney himself! Bill helped create many classics starting with Snow White, and going all the way to Jungle book. As time went by, Bill decided that after 27 years, it was time to leave. Bill had become attached to the company and his job, but mostly Walt. It was hard to say "good bye." About one year later, Walt Disney died. Bill went on to writing stories and illustrating them for children of all ages. They all relate to him in one way or another, but the one that felt the most connected to him was "Chester the Worldly Pig". Chester was who he was, and he had always been so. And like Chester, Pete "had grown beyond his expectations."

I can see myself in Pete sometimes. He never gave up and kept dreaming and kept his spirit alive. He has an easy flow to his writing that makes you feel relaxed and know that you're in for one heck of a good story. I loved his book for the truth that it told, and for the wonder that makes up Bill Pete. Keep dreaming, if you strive, you can reach the stars and soar beyond.

Wonderful look into an amazing artist's life
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-08
The book that introduced me to Bill Peet as a child and helped in inspiring me to push my art and chase my dreams. A must have for any lover of original Disney art or aspiring artist.

While not aimed at someone my age...
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-13
I nevertheless found it quite fascinating and engrossing.

Peet is a self-professed reluctant student, especially of English classes, but he is nonetheless quite the good writer. Peet's illustrations add a lot to the pace and feel of the book and are a joy in their own right. His stories of life in Indianapolis before World War II will be interesting to any native Hoosier (as am I).

However, the most interesting part details his jobs at Walt Disney studios. His descriptions of how they made movies in the old days as well as the insider's look at Walt Disney himself are fascinating. Peet worked on several Disney movies, including Pinnochio, Fantasia, Cinderella (he created the lovable mice) and the original 101 Dalmations.

Peet brushes over his life after he left Disney a little too quickly. I would have liked to have read his descriptions of life in the publishing world as well. Also lacking is much history of his family life.

That being said, it was still fascinating, entertaining and totally worth the reader's time.

I give this one a grade of A-

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Black and Blue Magic
Published in Paperback by Yearling (1988-04-01)
Author: Zilpha Keatley Snyder
List price: $3.25
New price: $37.14
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Average review score:

Beautiful and heartfelt.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-03
This is a lovely story about a lovely boy. He grows as a person and has his dreams come true. It is also a fantasy story which makes it a bit unrealistic but this book does deal with real issues and it is a beautiful and memorable story.

This book was a magical experience!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-02
I loved Black and Blue Magic as a child. I have tried to find it several times using search engines but never used the right search terms until recently. I am buying this book for my children because I know they will experience the same "magic" that I felt when I read this book (many years ago). Jason Alter, author of John Fastramp and the Dakota 3000 Challenge.John Fastramp and the Dakota 3000 Challenge

Great book
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-02
I tracked this book down on Amazon after remembering it from when I was a kid. It's a great story of the loser kid (which I really related to) transforming his life through the aid of magic and the ability to fly. Highly recommended.

Black and blue
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-11
An old book that shows it's age. However, it was one of the first books I read in the fantasy genre. The book is a harmless glimpse of what might be if magic were real and being peddled out of a suitcase. I bought it for my nephew.

Not my favorite
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-07
I found this book to be kind of dull actually. The characters are broad and somewhat unrealistic, and I don't know that Snyder has found an effective way to combine fantastic elements with a realistic world.

This is a good-hearted book, and might be worth a read as an afternoon's entertainment, but it didn't hold the magic for me that it seemed to hold for other reviewers. It reminds me a little bit of the works of Ruth Chew, which all center around kinds and magical objects.

I would recommend Beatrice Gormley's "Mail Order Wings" above this for a book about an adolecent who takes flight. If you're looking for a good fantasy story involving children and magical adventures, I think "James and the Giant Peach" or "The BFG," both by Roald Dahl, would be more satisfying.

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Blackburn: A Novel
Published in Paperback by Picador (1995-03-15)
Author: Bradley Denton
List price: $12.00
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Average review score:

Go Jimmy, kill, kill!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-09
What to make of this book? I went into it knowing what the author was trying to do and thinking, "He'll never pull it off." Well, he does. It works because of the time spent building the character of Jimmy Blackburn, a kid growing up abused out in the sticks and trying to make sense of a cruel world. He is so decent he cannot abide the deliberate infliction of pain on helpless victims, be they humans or dogs. So he kills them -- a mean cop, crooked mechanics, a wifebeater, etc.

A masterpiece of black humor, it's also surprisingly touching. Imagine Holden Caulfield as the protagonist of a serial killer novel and you have some idea. This is the ideal novel for the fans of serial killer books, American humor aficinados and dog lovers on your gift list.

BTW, if you are interested in the polar opposite of "Blackburn," check out Shane Stevens "By Reason of Insanity."

read in public at your own risk.....
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-15
...people will wonder what the hell is wrong with you as you literally blurt out roaring, uncontrollable laughter. VERY few other books have ever made me do this, NONE on such a *continuous* basis.
Lest you forget, this is about a serial killer:
"what's so funny?"
(incoherently *try* to quit laughing, regain your composure, and explain why that murder WAS SO FUNNY)...
I read this book a year ago, and it still impacts me as one of the best ever. I read a fair amount, yet most books are so unmemorable to me.
if you want a book that questions the whole polemic issue of "good and evil" i recommend this book. if you want to laugh, ditto.
i'm here searching for it to buy my own copy, because it was that eff-in good (one in a thousand books -- that's how many books i want to re-read, let alone what fraction of that i would buy AFTER I have read it already, if i hadn't bought it in the first place).
I HEART THIS BOOK

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

would blackburn kill blackburn?
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-19
if he didn't know he had a moral code?
if thoughts could kill, so many of us would be serial murderers.
we'd take out a lot of people having a bad day too

but blackburns victims were all deaths we could root for, especially given our knowledge of Blackburn's inner monologue
poor blackburn, his mission ended too soon.

What a ride!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-20
I read this book in less than eight hours, impossible to put down and hard to forget!

Cheer For The Killer
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-30
Generally, when a serious book set in modern America features a person who murders twenty people, that person is not the star, you don't find yourself cheering him on, and you aren't sad when the killing spree comes to an end. In Blackburn, Bradley Denton makes all of that happen.

Blackburn follows the life of Jimmy Blackburn, told through a series of nineteen stories spanning his life. The book has an intriguing structure, alternating stories called things like "Victim Number Two" (which is the tantalizing first one) with numbered and named chapters (the second chapter is actually called "One: Blackburn and the Blind Man"). The chapters alternate between "Victim" and "numbered and named" chapters for the rest of the book. I found this structure terribly interesting, especially beginning with "Victim Number Two". For a long time we are left wondering who victim number one was. His father? The bully? Who?

In the book, young Jimmy Blackburn is tormented by his father and various other thugs and shysters. While this formula could be used to make Blackburn into a victim, carrying out his violent deeds because of lingering pain of his childhood, Denton doesn't take it that direction. Instead, the events of Jimmy Blackburn's childhood lead him to an inexorable decision. He will not be a victim, he will be a perpetrator, a righter of wrong, a sticker-up for the downtrodden, an anti-hero. And we are along for the ride, holding on and hoping for the best and knowing it can't end well.

From beginning to end, the book is excellent, compelling, and surprisingly funny. The chapter with the encyclopedia salesman is hilarious, and the chapter with the car repair scam artists is wicked fun. There are lots of dogs along the way. You could make a case that without the dogs there wouldn't have been a story at all. It's hard not to like a guy who likes dogs as much as Blackburn does. Denton even takes some fun shots at himself, inserting an author of a book very much like this one into the narrative. It is, to say the least, interesting when Blackburn confronts him. The most compelling part of the story, though, is when Blackburn runs into another serial killer, only the evil kind. Perhaps it's meaningful that this encounter is the beginning of the end for Blackburn.

Toward the end of the book there is, to me, the most satisfying exchange, so cool that I have to share it here at the risk of spoiling something for someone. It should come as no surprise that Blackburn finds himself in the custody of the police. Here, Blackburn has decided to be forthright with them, but his honesty is not appreciated. There are no good cops in this book. The jerky DPS troopers are escorting him in shackles and handcuffs back to the jail after his preliminary hearing when Blackburn tells them he has killed men, but never a woman. "How many men?" the first trooper asks. "Just so we know how scared we should be," the second says. "Eighteen," Blackburn says. "So far." It helps the excitement of the moment that the exchange takes place in the chapter called "Victim Number Nineteen". Wicked fun.

Blackburn is a great book, funny and exciting and sad. If it doesn't make you cheer for the killer and wail at the unjust world when he doesn't get to kill more people, there's something wrong with you.

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Blade
Published in Mass Market Paperback by HarperEntertainment (1998-09-01)
Authors: Mel Odom and New Line Productions
List price: $5.99
New price: $34.85
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

BLADE ...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-27
Blade was .... completely different from the movie. The movie had more fighting and you didn't get to see the true meaning of the novel. The movie described Blade as a cold blooded slayer with no mercy. The novel describes Blade as someone who risks his life everyday to save the human race in spite of the fact that the human race thinks he's a murderer and wants him dead. He uses his powers to serve and protect the very species that depises and fears him-our own. He has the power of an immortal, the soul of a human, and the heart of a hero.

Vampire Fans! Hang on tight!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-24
Another ride on the good ol' roller-coaster of adrenalin! Who says books can't raise your blood pressure? For those who think so: Read Blade! Awesome action, packed with vampire-slaying excitement, and intense fun! I haven't even seen the movie, though I'm about to. If all movie-novels were like Blade, Carmike Cinemas will be seeing me more often.

Awesome book, you gotta read it!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-26
Blade is the tightest book you'll ever want to read!!! The movie and the book are amazing. I've been watching the movie a hella-lot of times and you'll also like the book. Buffy v. Blade??? Blade all the way! cause he's the #1 slayer!

BLADE KICKS ASS
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-27
Blade was a kick ass book, completely different from the movie. The movie had more fighting and you didn't get to see the true meaning of the novel. The movie described Blade as a cold blooded slayer with no mercy. The novel describes Blade as someone who risks his life everyday to save the human race in spite of the fact that the human race thinks he's a murderer and wants him dead. He uses his powers to serve and protect the very species that depises and fears him-our own. He has the power of an immortal, the soul of a human, and the heart of a hero.

Deacon Frost Rules
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-15
I loved both the book and the movie. I was really surprised at how the book captured the manic energy of the movie and the complexity of the characters. The book really delves into the deeper areas of the characters and captures the feeling that it's hard not to admire Frost while you're hating him, he's an awesome villain. Even if you haven't seen the movie, read the book, it's an absolute must for anyone who's a fan of Anne Rice or vampires in general, as well as anyone who wants to read a well-crafted piece of literature.

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The Book Of Hours
Published in Paperback by Thomas Nelson (2000-03-30)
Author: Davis Bunn
List price: $19.98
New price: $2.99
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

Fabulous story, intriguing concept
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-27
The story was good- a man comes to a small English village to claim his inheritance and encounters a mystery and puzzle.

The concept talked about in the book was really intriguing to me. In medieval times parishioners were asked to pray hourly, so that God would be brought into what they were doing. But many average people did not know how to tell time. So church bells would ring on the hour to remind people to pray, and some people carried a little book called the Book of Hours to read a short prayer while the bells were ringing. Then they would go back into what they were doing.

Because the whole point of life is not to make every day like church, where we sit and listen to a sermon and sing; the whole point is to bring God into your everyday life. Bring Him into your cleaning, your working, your playing. Bring Him into the fun parts and the drudgery. That's how we have a relationship with God.

"We Christians are simply beggars who happen to know where other beggars might find bread."- from The Book of Hours, p. 309

I love this quote. I am far from perfect. I am far from all-knowing or all-powerful. But I know where to find the knowledge and the power. It's in Jesus Christ.

So I'm thinking about getting a chime set on my phone, to ring a short phrase at the top of every hour. Maybe it will help me bring God into my life.

wonderful writer
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2009-02-10
I love to read anything by Bunn. He never fails to thrill and cause thoughtful curiosity. Thank you for such quick shipping and product quality and also for mindful followup. I should use this source often. G. Study Ft. Worth, TX USA

Big book in a little package
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-04
Don't let the size fool you. This is one of Davis Bunn's finest pieces of work. I read too fast the first time, because I wanted to see what happens. There will be no hurry the next time, because savoring the beautiful writing will be a delight to all the senses, and deserves full attention.

Book of Hours
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-21
Shortly before she died, Brian Blackstone's wife implored him to save her family home in Oxford, England. But when he arrives, Brian finds foreclosure on the house nearly complete because of the enormous death tax. An intriguing, suspense-filled novel that made it virtually impossible to put down. One of Bunn's best!

Well worth your time to read! No sooner had I begun this book, I realized I would ber rereading it.

Loved The Book of Hours
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-11
I loved this book! I've been a Christian since I have been 15 years old; however, I have not really been into Christian fiction because I've found more enjoyment in Christian non-fiction and secular fiction. Also, from my past experience, it seems that Christian fiction has been too syrup-y sweet and too preachy. I absolutely adore this book. The story line is wonderful. It has romance, suspense, mystery, drama....all rolled in one. The book also touched me by how God works in our lives to put us on the path that He feels is best for us ...and all the while we can glorify Him by helping and being of service to others (those lovable and those unlovable also). I highly recommend this book. I also look forward to reading more of T. Davis Bunn's books and also other Christian fiction.


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