Audio Books

In Someone Knows My Name, Lawrence Hill pens a breathtakingly beautiful work. While simple to read, its pages evince vitality and imagery known to only the best authors. Aminata, a free African girl, kidnapped by slave traders on the dawn of her "womanhood," records her journey from her homeland to foreign soil across the waters. It is the story of her struggle to not only preserve her identity and heritage, but a daily fight for her life, her family, and ultimately, her freedom. Although her tale is a fictional representation of the African diaspora, Hill's documentation of the movement, slave-trading, Revolutionary War, British loyalists and abolitionists remains quite intact.

This is the first review I have ever written. But I feel this book warrants a short comment. I can't add to the descriptions already posted above. But I can say that this was one of the best books I have ever read. It grabbed me from the first page and held me until the end. What an amazing heroine Lawrence Hill created. This is a book that should not be missed.

Simply put, This is a novel that reads you. Lawrence Hill's Someone Knows My Name is the first book that I purchased on my Kindle- a Father's Day gift. I couldn't put this book down! The Kindle with its built in dictionary allows you to surf the net while you are reading and learn more about the historical characters and places deepening your understanding (few people other than historians and scholars are aware of the Black Loyalists for example) .

Every person of African descent should place this on their must read list (Science says that includes you- regardless of your race or nationality). From the moment you flip the first pages, or push the toggle bar, this historical novel challenges you to consider anew ones understanding of humanity, identity, and faith as you follow-or more accurately "journey with"- Aminata Diallo, an African girl sold into slavery.

From the home of her loving parents and her small village to the waiting slave ships and the middle passage to a different world, "we" journey with her coming to know the horrors of the slave trade in a profound way. Yet, Someone Knows My Name is also a story of liberation, of abiding faith, and of courage and survival. The themes of Exodus and migration are present throughout reminding us that life and faith are a journey. In the words of one of the novel's characters, Daddy Moses, "It doesn't matter what we call your soul....What matters is where it travels and who it lifts up". Someone Knows My Name will continue to travel with you long after you read its final lines and it will indeed lift your soul.

You may want to purchase this book as a hard copy so that you can pass it on to others that you care about.

Historical novels, such as "Someone Knows My Name" and "Ama: the Story of the Transatlantic Slave Trade" by Manu Herbstein, are perhaps the least appreciated genre in literature. Once you pause to read Someone Knows My Name you will find yourself searching for more.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. From the first page I was captivated by the lives of the characters. This book challenged my thinking beyond belief and pushed me to wonder what I would have done in many given situations. It shows the amazingness of human resiliency and the disgustingness of those who have lost all humanity along with those in between. In researching the details of the book it very historically accurate which adds to the allure of this book. For anyone who wants to challenge their mind and soul...this is a must read.

Usually when I read historical fiction I find that the history is interesting, but the writing is poor; or the reverse. In this case, I found both the writing and history to be superb. It's the first time in years I've read a story so well told that is based on so much research. I can't wait for the paperback to come out so that I can buy it for friends.

After reading the reviews I knew this book would be great... It greatly surpassed my expectations. If you are a Star Wars fan, you should order it right now!

I bought this book for my husband. He really loves it. Its like a scrapbook collection of 30 years of Star Wars. Very neat! I was disappointed because the shipping caused the book to be dented in the corners. I know its a heavy item, but Amazon should make sure to accomodate.

My husband LOVES all things 'Star Wars' and I don't think there's a single day in his life that goes by without him making at least one daily Star Wars reference. This collection has so much to offer. So many little gems that will surprise even the biggest Star Wars fan. It's so masterfully crafted and quite a show piece! It's like a modern heirloom, and sure to provide hours upon hours of enjoyment.

STAR WARS VAULT BY STEPHEN J. SANSWEET AND PETER VILMUR: Celebrating it's thirtieth anniversary this year, the Star Wars franchise is in a similar predicament to the time after the release of Return of the Jedi: no plans for future movies, apart from a continuing animated series of the Clone Wars. By the same token, fans are in the same state with little to nothing to look forward to. Thankfully, to commemorate the third decade of the blockbuster, internationally bestselling movie series, there's the Star Wars Vault: "thirty years of treasures from the Lucasfilm archives with removable memorabilia and two audio CDs.

This is not just a nicely decorated picture book in a sturdy slipcase; it's an experience, a journey that one is immediately taken one when they open up the cover. Star Wars Vault is part of the new style of picture being published, like that of 1776: The Illustrated Edition, where the book goes beyond glossy, colorful pictures and photos, but incorporates all types of media, and with the rich heritage of the Star Wars franchise which literally revolutionized the world with merchandising, Star Wars Vault is a gift that would make any fan of the series, no matter how old or how much of a fan, respect you greatly in your choice of gift.

Sansweet keeps his story short, taking up little room on the page, and leaving the evidence reproduced here in various forms to speak for itself. He begins with the fascinating tale of how the first movie, Star Wars Episode IV, barely made it to release, and with little support, until the enormous numbers of audience members proved that the studio executives were very wrong. While Sansweet spends less time on the development and release of the rest of the movies, the experience as one turns the pages and relives the history of the Star Wars empire is unlike that of any other. With unique photos, movie posters, and a plethora of pictures from around the world, there are innumerable insets and handouts of unique items like patches, stickers, collectible postcards, film cells, and even two audio CDs with a variety of different pieces ranging from the mid-eighties radio ads, to special interviews, to a recording of the song sung by Carrie Fisher for the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special.

While the price for Star Wars Vault is considerable, no one will regret it when they turn the page and discover the world within. It is a book that will immediately be quickly read, the stickers and patches possibly used, and added to the shelf to be rediscovered over and over.

[...]

My 8-year-old, who is a huge Star Wars fan, loves this book. Unfortunately, because it's so cheaply made, it fell apart shortly after he got it. The pages have completely separated from the hard cover, probably because the materials/methods used in the binding are too flimsy. For a more-than-$50 "collector's edition," the publisher should have made the book to last more than two weeks. It will cost me $85 to have it repaired.

As a child, I couldn't put any of Poe's short stores down, now a few decades later, nothing much has changed. I was thrilled to add this book to my collection, it is well made, and comprehensive collection. All of this at a great price.

Despite all who have attempted the genre since, Poe remains the supreme master of the horrific short story. From this collection I select "Berenice" to comment on, not only because it is a classic example of Poe, but also because it deals with a subject so typically his, that of obsession.
There is little point in trying not to "spoil" a Poe story by avoiding telling the final outcome, for in this story, as in much of his work, the fascination lies not in a teasing or elaborate plot leading to a surprise revelation, but in morbid, gristly dwelling on the awful texture of misery, melancholia and near madness. One can read them repeatedly, and they still taste satisfyingly rank and vile.
In this short story of brooding obsession, Egaeus looses his wife, Berenice, to illness, and in a fit of abstraction and obsession opens her grave and rips out the part of her that his mind has fixated upon: her teeth. Nasty and simple, but unforgettable.
There is little joy in Poe's world. Love, hope and happiness are only shown as a prelude to loss, to provide a fading dusk against which the blackness of the tragic end stands out more clearly.
It's interesting that some of Poe's readers complained to the editor when Berenice was published in the Southern Literary Messenger in 1935. This was early in Poe's career, and he reports the subscription list of this periodical as 700. In December of that year he was made editor, and by the time he left the subscription list numbered 5,500. Obviously then, as now, there was quite an appetite for horror amongst readers.

Graham Worthington, author, Wake of the Raven

This is an excellent book including all of his poetry, short stories and other literary works! 832pages of Poe! Got it as a present and the person it was for loved it!

I've bought a few complete Poe collections over the years, and this one is my favorite. The font size is not squashed down to save pages at the expense of my eyes, and it does seem to be complete. It's also an attractively put together book.

Poe is essential reading for anyone interested in horror, and for any apsiring writer. He not only is a master of horror, but he's credited as being the inventor of the detective story.

"The Raven", "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Black Cat", "The Masque of the Red Death", "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", and everything else you're looking for plus stories and poems you may never have heard of yet are all in here.

This is a great volume at a great price. I'd also recommend: The Best of H. P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre, Cold Streak, It (Signet Books), Coraline, & Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance.

The book arrived just in time and it is in excelent conditions. This edition contain all my favorites works of Edgar Allan Poe. I recommend it!

As odd as it seems, many (including numerous Christians) do not look forward eagerly to Heaven. They view it as a place completely lacking in any fun. This book is a great antidote to that.

Max Lucado conducts a fresh look at Heaven, Christ's return, and even Hell. His insights will fill Christians with hope and longing.

One very interesting and thought provoking part is chapter eight. In this, the author talks about 'sweet surprises' in Heaven. He discusses influences that we can have with people on Earth that will have eternal significance.

Another great section is the one on Hell. Lucado says, 'God does not send people to hell. He simply honors their choice.' He goes on to explain this in a way that is very meaningful and will be helpful to those who struggle with the concept of Hell.

This book is really great for any Christian and any seeker who is thinking about the concepts of Heaven, Hell, eternal life, etc. I would also recommend Heaven and Deadline.

This book was ordered as a gift for a friend who had read my copy earlier. She wanted it for her daughter. They are both pleased. I like Max Lucado's writings. They are clear and simple and easy to assimilate. I have several of his books, which I re-read often. All of them are excellent.

I love Max Lucado. His writings inspire me to be a better person. You can't go wrong with anything he writes be it children's books or adult books.

Lucado does it again. He takes a topic that is often deeply unsettling for many- the end. When Christ comes. And he takes all our worries and uncertanties gently, understandingly and reassures each one. Things that I've been afraid to admit as a Christian such as being worried about being disappointed when Christ comes (hard to explain until you read the book, but an example would be an expectant mother being disappointed because she wants to raise her baby) ...these things we don't want to admit, Lucado understands. He affirms our feelings. However, he also has a way of turning them around and reminding us of Christ's love. Trust Him.

A fantastic read.

Max helps prepare the soul for the coming of Jesus Christ. Not deep theologically, but it is still worth the reading. Very encouraging!

This book was wonderful. I have never read anything by this Author but I am so pleased with her writing I will now fill my book collection with all her wonderful stories. Enjoyed it so much!

I first read this series many years ago and fell in love with Ms. Blackwell's stories. I say I "first read" it because I've actually read this whole series at least three times (obviously it's my favorite one, so far), and I still laugh out loud and enjoy it as much as the first time! I've lent the book to my daughter and to all of my friends who like historical Christian fiction, and they adore them as well. Ms. Blackwell, I would LOVE to see the Gresham Chronicles done up into movies! They remind me of Anne of Green Gables with their country charm and wonderful character development! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was the second of Lawana Blackwell's books that I read, giving me a glimpse of how consistently good she is. Since then, I have read everything she has written (I just bought Table by the Window) and can't get enough of them. The Widow of Larkspur Inn was especially endearing because of the people Blackwell incorporated into the story. Gresham is a place where I think all of us would like to live, surrounded by loving (and sometimes quirky) people who enrich lives with their humor and spirit. I believe that some of the Blackwell's strongest characters reside in Gresham; people who are unique and carry the story all the way to the last page. Just realize that you may want to order the next two books in the series before you finish this one...that way you can move right on into the next part of the Gresham Chronicles.

This book was really wonderful. The main character, Julia Hollis had so much strength, faith, hope and love. Julia was married to Phillip, who had hidden his love of gambling. She was forced out of her home when Phillip died because of his gambling debts. She moves her family (3 children and her maid/friend) to Gresham to the Larkspur Inn. The Larkspur Inn was the only property of her husbands that the Bank didn't want. She returns the Larkspur Inn back into the beautiful Inn it was in its glory days. Lawanna Blackwell makes you feel as if you are there in Gresham and all the tenants and the owner and her family are your friends! She meets the vicar, Andrew Phelps, whom she forms a friendship with. I can't tell you what happens with the rest of their lives, because it would spoil the book. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book and enjoy! I loved this book so much, I just ordered the other two in this series!!

I just love this series. I've read it many times and decided to purchase it off Amazon for my own. Lawana Blackwell has a unique style of writing that makes you feel like you are actually in the time period. Her other books are great as well. Check them out.

It is an honor to be a part of the company Art Williams started. There has never been a dull day or wasted moment listening to Art, reading his books, and working his message. It is all I can do.

I loved this book, and I constantly refer to it when I go about my day.

What I love about it is that it's written by somebody who's done it, and it doesn't sugar coat what it takes to be a success. Because Art's ~560th richest person, he doesn't have ulterior motives for writing this book, as some other motivational gurus do (ie buy their audio CD's & DVDs and go to their seminars for $3000 a pop).

Art doesn't lie.

It takes a ton of will and determination & positive attitude to do what he's done. It takes a lot of hard work to succeed. It's sad to see people today constantly chasing after the next quick fix, the next scheme that promises them a million bucks in 30 days. Because it won't happen. As Art says, nothing worthwhile comes easy. If you want success in your life, you've got to work hard at it, you've got to be positive no matter what hits the fan, you've got to believe in yourself & what you're doing.

Art doesn't just pay lip service to this information - he's lived by it & is a billionaire because of it. Go figure.

So get this book and you'll get no-nonsense advice on getting successful. This isn't fluff he's got from pulling advice from self help books - this is advice he's giving from his 20 odd years of being in the trenches, fighting an industry that spent millions trying to put him out of business.

As they say, you'll never truly know what it's like being in war until you've been out in the battlefield. This guy's been there, done that, and now he's going to share with you his advice.

This book flew below the radar for some reason, and is abit of a sleeper when it comes to universal popularity.
It is a personal favorite of mine.
This guy walks the walk as well as talking. He is not an ATNA. (All Talk and No Action). He's got the stats to back up his crusade. Guys like him, and say, Guiness Bk #1 Salesman Joe Girard, are the real deal.

A. L. Williams was a football coach... a man who loved his guys and pushed them to excel in life. And he lived what he preached! You want to be inspired to just DO IT? Get this book.

Williams emphasizes that you have to work hard and be PERSISTENT. Just NEVER, EVER quit. And that's the key. Know what you want, DESIRE it and go for it. Don't let anybody steal your dream. Just do it and hang in there.

He talks about how he got MAD at the rip-off insurance companies, and that anger fueled his drive to excel. He and his friends became tough and tenacious and made things work. Again, that's the key. What a book! Get a copy and mark it up. Read it repeatedly and it'll fire up your soul!

Read this book years ago when it came out and read it regularly for motivation and inspiration. AL Williams went out and did what so many of us want to do and talk about doing. This book takes you through the steps of making a difference from his high school coaching days to his motivation to help others and driving incredible change in the insurance world. Great great book and a must read if you want to know how one man achieved success beyond his wildest dreams and than anyone else thought he could do.

This compact volume is a compilation of realistic and ethical insights about the foibles of human relations. Just reading a few entries at a sitting offers thoughtful and encouraging tools in our dealings with one another.

THIS BOOK IS WORTH FIVE TIMES THE COST. THE AUTHOR NAILED THE HUMAN SPIRIT ON THE HEAD. FOLLOW THE TEACHINGS AND YOU WILL LEARN THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE EGO CENTERED, ILLOGICAL AND GREEDY. LESSONS THAT HAVE TAKEN ME DECADES TO LEARN.

The book contains 300 field-tested behavioral rules for an honorable and successful life. The credibility this Jesuit needs in order to tell us how to live comes from his instant truth and usefulness. Most of the maxims have the urgent clarity of tough times, but some show you how to enjoy your adventures best. His perspective is balanced and subtle.

When you use this experiential knowledge you deliberately err on the side of caution, graduating to reality faster than your peers. All of life is covered. Some maxims are explanations on character and common sense, while others advise on how to deal with people. For example, he tells us to keep matters in suspense and to be skilled in conversation. You essentially learn how not to screw up in a complex world without fairy tale endings.

A few readers will say that this "prudent" Spaniard from the 17th century is outdated, and I agree that nowadays you could survive without him. But then don't complain when your superficial person is ignored, your illusions are painfully shattered and former friends leave you in the mud. You could have saved the day if you had only listened!

This knowledge was hard won, like gold, by a reflective man who's life's work was to tell you how not to be a fool. If the advice was bad, this book would have gone out of print a few centuries ago.

Throughout the years, I've read various philosophers and grasped their differant ideologies. I haven't read too much of Gracian. After reading the Art of Wordly Wisdom as traslated by Maurer, I feel as though I've been deprived of this great Philosopher. I wish I had read more of Gracian's work earlier on. This book details various compilations of conduct and thinking. It truly is a gem. It is a Highly recommended book.

This is a beautifully produced book, and on the whole the translation is at least satisfactory, and frequently elegant in its own right. But the oracle's original train of thought within each half-page aphorism (probably hard enough to follow in the original Spanish) often becomes totally unintelligable in translation.

Perhaps annotations would have helped, but without either the original Spanish or any notes to refer to one sometimes has to simply give up trying to understand the gist, and move on to the next aphorism.

Overall it's a rewarding read, and certainly a book to keep at hand and dip into again and again, but also somewhat frustrating. This is not the ultimate translation.

When my daughter was young, I read hundreds of books to her; we had a weekly pilgrimage to the local library for a new set of books. If this book had been an option, I would have read it to her and she would have loved it.
Bear is hibernating on the day before Christmas and his animal friends wake him up so that he can be part of their celebration. They go out and get a Christmas tree, bring it back to bear's cave, put it up, decorate it and then make and exchange presents. Everyone has a wonderful time and Santa manages to sneak a visit to deliver presents without anyone seeing him. At the end, bear has received a nice quilt, so he is back in his winter's sleep.
The simple story is engaging and the images will catch the child's eye. It is a happy story, has a simple ending and is a perfect story to hear on the night before Christmas. This is especially true when it is used as a bedtime story to quiet the child excited about the advent of Christmas.

Wow, just adorable. Great gift idea. Great size book. I pull it out for Christmas and the kids LOVE it. It's such a sweet story of friendship. I love these sweet, wholesome stories. The illustrations are BEAUTIFUL as always with Karma's books. Even after we read it, the kids love to just look through it at the pictures and can read it to themselves that way. Really, I think each little home needs ALL the Bear books.

We have several Christmas books, and this is the favorite in our house. All of Bear's little woodland friends wake him up to join in all the Christmas Eve festivities. The story and illustrations are very simple, yet enchanting. I would love to climb in the pages and stay up for Christmas with Bear!

I purchased this book for my son after receiving the Bear Snores On as a gift. They are his absolute favorites. The pictures are beautiful and the words are lyrical and rhyming. I also like the way it subtly includes both the religious and secular sides of Christmas beneath the overall message of friendship and giving. He has MANY books, but wants me to read this one every night. It's so nice I din't mind.

This book has wonderful illustrations, and is written in a flowing manner that makes it great fun reading to my first grandson. I plan on getting the entire series for him! I want to make sure he knows there is more to life than sports!

Birding by Ear is an excellent way to learn to identify birds. It is just going to take me some time to get through all the calls and get them in my poor brain. Not the fault of the cd's - just the fault of my overworked brain.

Birding by Ear is a great group of 4 CD's for beginner birders. It has great illustrations in the accompanying book and the narrator is wonderfully helpful. We love it!!

We live on 10 acres and have wondered what birds make certain calls. These CDs teach you how to learn the calls and songs in a fun way. (Who knew there was a difference in a song and a call?) We found out that we had birds we didn't know we had because we had never seen them, but after learning their songs, we started looking and have seen brightly colored orioles and indigo buntings. You would think you could see a brightly colored orange bird, but knowing what to look for is a great help. The way the author teaches is with easy to remember tricks. It is a great teaching device for kids too. There are lots of hints on how to best use the CD's too. Even knowing just a few songs makes you more aware of the sounds around you. The other night I heard "who cooks for you? who cooks for you all?" I went and woke my daughter up and asked, what bird says that? She knew right off it was a Barred Owl and got up to come hear it in person. Awesome CDs. We also bought "More Birding by Ear" but haven't had time to listen to it yet. They even have a list of songs at the end so you can see if you remember what you learned. The songs are also grouped by type to help you remember them. Similar sounding songs are also placed next to each other so that it makes it easier to tell the difference between them. There was a lot of thought put into making this such a great product and it is well worth it! I am not an audio learner, but even I am getting better at ID'ing birds by their sounds.

If you're looking to learn how to recognize birds just by sounds, then this is it. These CD's are excellent. I would recommend them for both beginner and expert alike. I have been birding since High School and am now 37 and learned about a lot of birds that I had heard but hadn't seen. I finished these CD's and am now working on More birding by ear(the second set of this series). It's amazing the birds you recognize as you are just walking down the street or in the woods. To be able to hear a bird in the distance and know what it is is great feeling.

Excellent recordings and presentation make learning bird songs easy. Highly reccomend. Combined with excellent service from Amazon made this a satisfying purchase.

Wow! This book rocks! What happens is...
--the true owner of the black stallion shows up and TAKES THE BLACK BACK
--Alec and Henry find the black, but it is a very difficult journey and they first must travel across the Atlantic
--there is a big race that the black is to be in
--somewhere along the way, a vicious man attempts to KILL THE BLACK
This is not only a horse book, but a good vs. evil book. I highly recommend it.

In this book, the second one in the Black Stallion series, the Black Stallion's real owner comes to retrieve him. He returns to his homeland, Arabia, soon after.You follow Alec, Raj, Henry, and Mr. Volence in an unforgettable adventure through Arabian deserts, facing criminals and hunger.
This was the best book that I ever read! If I could I would give it 9 million star!

Abu the Black Stallions ownerhad lost his horse by going on a ship to a country and the ship had started sinking.The Black had saved a boys life named Alec.Alec had thought that the owner of the horse was really dead but he wasnt,which Alec didnt know that.Well anyways Alec had took the Black home with him and put him in a stall and took good care of the Black.Well now Abu had been looking for his horse for a while now and so he had finally found out where his horse was and went to Alecs house and proved ownership of the Black.Then Abu had taken the horse back home to their country and then Alec was really upset that he didnt have that horse anymore so Abu said that he could have the Blacks baby that was born.

Abu the Black stallions owner had lost his horse by going on a ship to a country and the ship had started sinking.The Black had saved a boys life named Alec.Alec had thought that the owner of the horse was really dead but he wasnt,which Alec didnt know that.Well anyways Alec had took the Black home with him and put him in a stall and took good care of the Black.Well now Abu had been looking for his horse for a while now and so he had finally found out where his horse was and went to Alecs house and proved
ownership of the Black. Then Abu had taken the horse back home to their country and then Alec was really upset that he didnt have that horse anymore so Abu said that he could have the first Blacks baby that was born.

This mysterious and enchanting book takes Alec and Henry to a setting far from the one in the previous book. In the barren deserts of Arabia, they search for their black stallion in his own home. A thrilling tale of survival, and just as vivid, with a race for high stakes and a horse to beat any of the same caliber all thrown in too make the story plot thicken.

This book had me turning the pages, never wanting to put it down. The story was very different from the first, but not as much as some sequels. Farley had a way of keeping his characters in prospective, and in turn, the story again took the readers on an exhilarating ride. A great piece of literature for young tweens to read, though the movie does have violence in it, but seems to make the story even more thrilling. An excellent book I will be sure to show my kids one day.