Montana Books

The book was good it told alot about princess Mia she was a princess of Ginovia she did not know she was a princess at first until her grandmother came and told her and took her on a journy to become a princess and she tryed her best and she did great.

This book is definitely one of those books that i could read over and over and over again without getting bored with it. I really enjoyed reading this book because its a great plot and i think that alot of girls can relate with Mia and what she writes about in her diary. This book is about when Mia goes on christams break in genovia and how she has to deal without talking to or seeing her true love Michael for days. Then when she returns home she starts obsessing if Michael loves her or is in love with her. Mias mind is like a tornado, she's always thinking and worrying about new things that she doesn't need to worry about. With this type of story-i couldn't put the book down!

This was definitely worth the 2 weeks I waited for it to be in the library!
Mia is spending her Winter vacation in Genovia, and when she comes back she continues to obsess over whether Michael loves her or is In Love with her (her mind is getting warped after reading Jane Eyre) and she really wants to get over the feeling that she doesn't have a talent and that she doesn't know how she can be so lucky to have Michael.
So fun!

the princess diary books are awsome! I just finished this book like ten minites ago and the ending is the best ending of al the princess diary books I'v read so far! defenetly recamend this book.

A disgrace to the previous "Princess" books, this is possibly the worst of them all. Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the previous novels in this series, eager for the next. I was drinking these books up as though I'd just ran miles. But this book I almost literally snored through. Mia was turned from a funny, clumsy princess into a whining brat. All she worried about in this book was whether her dream boy was truly "in love" with her or not. Hey, she was his girlfriend -- what more can you ask for? In Mia Thermopolis' eyes, plenty. She just can't get enough. I thought she got over complaining about her princess lessons -- my mistake. She's also an ungrateful little snob -- her boyfriend, Michael, is so sweet and always doing such nice things for her, like coming into Algebra to say hi to her every morning even though he rode with her to school, and dedicating songs to her. And I've noticed that not once does she repay him. Mia is just a bad character to mess with!

The only thing that drove me crazy was the amount of pages that were necessary to develop the characters. I know it was necessary but I wanted to scream at them "stop interacting and look for the key!". Looking forward to the other two books. The part about Malory wanting to be an artist but not having the talent really touched a chord with me. Don't we all feel that way sometimes about dreams?

I liked this book. I have read some of Nora Roberts books in the past and for the most part have enjoyed them all. As most people say this is similar to her other books but thats what romance novels are about. Girl likes boy, boy likes girl, they fight attraction, boy gets girl.

I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to others. But this is by no means intellectual reading. Read this just for fun.

Positives - The fantasy/mystery story line was promising and the book itself is well written.

Negatives - This story is much more a romance then anything else and for that to work I need to care about the relationship. Unfortunately this love affair was stupid and childish... What I'd expect from a junior high school coulpe (but with more sex then I remember).

I'm not going to bother with the rest of the trilogy.

I think the first book was just ok to me. I am currently reading The Key of Knowledge and I am finding it better then the first so far. I thought it was good, but it lacked the spunk that Roberts brings into her other books. At times the plot got a bit confusing. I have high hopes that the Trilogy will end with a bang..

Malory Price is a woman with a plan. She is organized in every facet of life from her career to her personal life, and isn't the spontaneous type. When she receives an invitation to Warrior's Peak, she is hesitant, but curiosity wins out. Malory likes her hosts Pitte and Rowenna, as well as the other two women that accepted invitations Zoe McCourt and Dana Steele. Pitte and Rowenna relay a tale of angry gods and three special princesses, and that fact that they believe them to be those princesses reborn. The three women are skeptical about the story, but agree to hear the challenge Pitte alludes to. Each woman is offered $25,000 each to search for 3 missing keys. If they find the keys, they will get 1 million dollars each, but if they fail, each woman must forfeit 1 year of their lives. As they start the journey, they find out they will have assistance from three counterparts. Connected to the mystery and the search are three men - Flynn, Brad, and Jordan.

This first book in the Key Series is Malory Price and Flynn Hennessy's story. I liked how Malory and Flynn met when his dog Moe knocks her down. She tries to resist Flynn's overtures, but is forced to be around him because he is Dana's brother. As the duo get closer, they must solve the puzzles, and overcome obstacles to find the first key. Very good start to the series!

After finishing Ken Follet's World Without End, I've been starved for another really good work of historical fiction. I'd seen that someone mentioned Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles as something people who enjoyed Pillars of the Earth and World Without End would enjoy.

Being that I was never much into King Arthur (not that I have a dislike for the character/legend...just something that I never took the time to explore), I wasn't in that much of a rush to read it.

I'm so glad that I finally picked up this book though. From the beginning to the end this book is quite captivating. The main characters are fictional, but the turmoils and events of the time are based on truth and how Whyte explains and nods to the Arthurian legend and Excalibur are not only clever, they're quite beleivable!

This book is filled with characters that are a joy to read and always entertaining.

I highly recommend this book and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series as soon as I can get my hands on all of them!

Jack Whyte was born and raised in Scotland, but has lived in Canada for the last forty odd years. He is the author of the Camulod series of books and has just had published the first in a trilogy about probably the most famous Order of knights, ever to come through the pages of history, the Knights Templar.

First published in 1992 this is the start of the Camulod Chronicles. This series has blossomed into at least nine books and gives a fresh and interesting approach to the Arthurian legends. If Arthur did exist and it is quite possible that he did, it certainly was not how Hollywood and many recent books on the subject portray him, a noble figure in armour of a style that was in use several hundred years after Arthur, had turned to dust.

As the title suggests this book revolves around the secret of the Skystone. An old soldier, a retired centurion, now a blacksmith, purely by chance finds the secret of an ore-bearing stone that has fallen from the sky. Although the blacksmith knows that the stone has fallen from the sky, what he does not know is that the stone is part of a much larger 'stone,' in fact it is a meteorite and the discovery of the strange metal hidden within the stone provides a link to a legend, over two centuries later, when a boy named Arthur is born. A boy who is destined to be a king . . .

I will say in defence of those who "rave" over this book - its fun for junk reading. Like other reviewers, I found this book to be poorly written, some gratuitous sex, homophobic in its presentation of the psychotic villain as the first and only homoerotic male presented in the book - imagine in Roman Britain... The female characters are disappointing. Also at times rather anachronistic. It makes me sad that so many reviewers clearly read this book as if it were history - BIG mistake. Read it as a fun escapist easy and quick read. Try to ignore its flaws if those things matter to you - or skip this book/series if you can't get past the inaccuracies, p/c problems, and weak writing/plot development. I probably won't continue on to the rest of this series.

I found the novel to be an enjoyable read - more historical fiction than fantasy, which is my preference. it was hard to put down and kept me engrossed. I recommend.

This book lays the groundwork for the best series I have ever read. More fiction than history, these books are hard to put down. I read the first 7 in the series, and look forward to the rest.

Not only does Jack Whyte entertain you, he gives you a new perspective of military occupation, chronic diseases, religious politics, love of one's home, and total desparation. The Skystone is not all inclusive; you must read further for Whyte to raise your standards for a well written series.

Because of the bloody violence, this book is more likely to be enjoyed by men than women, but all readers have something to gain from reading The Camulod Chronicles.

This book argues convincingly that one's intelligence can be improved by using image streaming and other methods. Win Wenger has worked in the area of accelerated learning for 25 years before he wrote this book. My personal experience has convinced me that accelerated learning has significant credibility.

For example; during an MBA program I took back in the late 1980s I had a sixteen week Micro Economics class taught by Dr. Gertmenian (affectionately called Dr. G) who believed in accelerated learning. In those short sixteen weeks he taught us the basics of micro-economics, macro-economics, and spice it with religion, law and investing. It was one of the toughest, most fun sixteen weeks I have ever had.

Dr G. explained the faster one learns, the more is retained. I found this to be true in my own life on many occasions. When have little time on a subject of interest, we are much more focused on the things that really matter. Consequently, we retain the important points. And, our brains aren't cluttered with less significant issues.

The Einstein Factor Image provides a wealth of ideas on how to improve ones mental abilities using accelerated learning. It does this by providing compelling examples of how the geniuses of yesterday and today were/are able to do what they do by using methods such as image streaming.

Wenger's upbeat tone encourages everyone to tap into their genius potential. It makes this read insightful, powerful and encouraging.

For example, in the Are You a Genius Chapter Wenger states: "Over the years, my studies have led me consistently to the conclusion that geniuses are little more than ordinary people who have stumbled upon some knack or technique for widening their channel of attention, thus making conscious their subtle, unconscious perceptions."

We all have amazing critical thinking abilities that frequently go untapped. This book, and others like it help many people to begin to realize their potential genius...or at least consider it. It won't be right for everyone. No book ever is. But, it is an important work.

The book is well researched, interesting and educational. It provides many common sense ideas for strengthening the brain. Investing time at the gym to get into physical shape is important. Equally important is investing time strengthening our brains to become more intelligent!

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

As most people already know, more recent studies on people who have been meditating on a regular basis reveals that there frontal cortex is slighly thicker than the average person who does not meditate. I suspect that the same would hold true for anyone who practices image streaming on a regular basis. I've been researching and experimenting with different techniques on how to increase intelligence for more than 5 years. IMO, increasing your intelligence all boils down to exercising your attention and concentration. Image Streaming is much like meditation in that it requires a great deal of concentration and focus. When you engage in an exercise that requires prolonged attention, it works your brain like a muscle, whether it be some form of meditation or image streaming. I suspect that one common denominator between anyone who may be considered a genius is an extraordinary ability to concentrate for long periods of time.

One thing I totally disagree with is the emphasis that this book places on descibing your images out loud. I found that speaking aloud is distracting and more of a road block to my own progress. I have experienced much better results when describing images silently in my mind...after all, it requires more concentration to do this silently and the silence allows you to enter into a deeper focus if you have the discipline to stay alert. Many people may disagree but these are my own experiences through trial and error.

This is anecdotal nonsense; the author has no legitimate evidence to substantiate his claims. The so-called "Einstein Effect" is really nothing more than vocalized stream-of-consciousness, or to put it more plainly: thinking out-loud. Start speaking your free-associations and maybe out of a lot of dross, you might get a good idea or two, but as far as turning ordinary people into Einsteins: I'd like to see that one proved. Snake oil and bulls**t. Save your money.

I want to know what this guy has to show for all of his ground breaking techniques. If he has been image streaming (etc) as much as this book implies, shouldn't he have some ungodly IQ and at least have a couple amazing intellectual accomplishments to show for it? There seems to be an intuitive feel to a lot of what he is saying, though. I don't see how doing something as mentally jogging as image streaming could do nothing for one's mind. Conventional IQ tests are not necessarily a good measure of a person's actual intelligence anyway. I would not be the least bit surprised if image streaming supplemented the ability to write and speak creatively, and perhaps solve problems.

Another thing about the book--the very reading of something with so much emphasis on intelligence will make someone far more aware of their own intelligence. This can make people feel more intelligent, or even free them to ways of thinking they hadn't thought possible.

Finally, placebo effect, anyone? What if people read an equally motivating and intriguing book about a method that just plain did not work? Doubtless, some of them would try the method and convince themselves that it worked, largely due to the principle in the above paragraph.

I feel obligated to come and, shall we say, balance the scales.

First of all, I do not work for and am in no way affiliated with anyone who wrote this book. I'm a college student interested in psychology - particularly learning and memory.

In my opinion, the book offers a number of interesting strategies for becoming more creative. Win loves to explain everything in a crisp, clear manner. His lucid writing style will enable you to understand how things work - and also makes the book a very intersting read in general.

Some of the things discussed in the book:
1. Dream Recall - Actually remember your dreams each and every night.

2. Using the First Law of Behavioral Psychology Advantageously - You get more of what you reinforce. Reinforce your own creativity so that you become more creative.

3. Image Streaming - Use visual imagery and rich description to boost brain power.

4. Photoreading - Absorb entire books and unlock the details you need.

5. Freenoting - Remember everything you read or hear in a lecture with startling clarity.

6. Achieving Flow - Strive to create a learning experience which puts you in a state of pleasantly absorbed concentration.

This is not everything in the book - far from it. The book is chocked full of other little tidbits, stories, and ideas pertaining to accelerated learning which makes the book a great overall read.

I do not agree with everything Mr. Wenger says. Photoreading, for example, seems to be a mixed-bag AT BEST. Cognitive Structural Enhancement also seems to be a shady, unlikely-to-produce results adventure. Borrowed Genius is plausible - it mainly just tries to get you to shift your perception, which will always be short-lived without conscious effort.

The majority of what Mr. Wenger teaches I agree with. Image Streaming has great potential and I feel it does indeed aid my mental prowess. However, Mr. Wenger claims it is "proven" and makes outrageous claims about its power. Bottomline: It probably depends on the person. Give it a fair trial - it might be the most useful exercise you have ever done.

Freenoting is probably my favorite technique in the book. Freenoting is a simple way to remember practically everything you read in a book or hear during a lecture. It operates on psychological principles and I have used it enough to know it works wonders. Try it - you will not be disappointed.

Mr. Wenger makes great use of the First Law of Behavioral Psychology. He has lots of little applications for this one little principle - and they all work. You can use it to remember your dreams and become more creative - guaranteed. These techniques work and are also easy.

Achieving flow is difficult to purposefully create - it seems to be one of those things that just happens naturally. I have yet to actually sit down and try to create a learning experience based on flow - but if I could, I am certain it would be the greatest learning experience of my life. I will look into that.

The rest of the book describes various tidbits to try, such as image streaming in a way to increase blood flow to the brain, swimming underwater more often, etc. These are interesting theories and deserve a fair trial. An interesting story Mr. Wenger uses to talk about the power of the subconcious mind involves a japanese mathematics teacher and a unique teaching method. He has his students essentially complete math worksheets as fast as they can - racing against the clock essentially. A perfect score must be obtained before moving onto the next worksheet. This technique would be fun and practical - and you may want to try it yourself.

All in all, the book is a great read. The theories are interesting and Mr. Wenger has a very lucid and engaging writing style to hold your attention. Some of the things in the book are very questionable; use your own judgement. Don't believe that image streaming will make you a genius overnight - that would be ridiculous. Will it increase your mental awareness and overall power? Maybe - and you should give it a fair trial in my opinion. Just because something is not proven does not mean it is not true, or even more important - that it cannot be proven to be true. The Theory of Evolution is not a proven theory - yet most scientists believe in it. Take everything with a grain of salt and use your own judgement.

I thought this book was absolutely wonderful. I felt like I knew the characters and was sad when I finnished reading it. Great for a weekend read and I felt completely satisfied. I would encourage anyone to read it!

I read this book a few years back after getting it from the library. I now want to buy it because even though much time has passed, the characters and the story still fascinate and haunt me. This is a story you won't forget, and it's a great one!

This is the story that Hannah Grey has waited a long time to tell. It's the story of what happened to her the summer she was seventeen, living in Maine. The summer she met Conary Crocker, the wild boy she fell in love with.

It's also the story of what began to happened with the Haskell family who lived in isolation on an island off the mainland of Dundee, Maine back in the late 1880s.

It's part love story, part ghost story.
And the two stories eventually collide...

I thought this was very well done. The characters were realistic, and well developed and I found it to be an easy and satisfying read. I will look for more books written by Beth Gutcheon.

MORE THAN YOU KNOW

This is my first Beth Gutcheon book but certainly will not be the last. I really enjoyed this book. It was cool how past and present were totally tied in with each other.

Hannah Gray tells of the summer she met the love of her life, Conary Crocker, resident bad boy. This is a summer during the Great Depression. Hannah and her half-brother and nasty, mean step-mother summer in Dundee, Maine. Not only does Hannah meet Conary, but they also meet some nasty, evil ghosts who are haunting the house where Hannah and family reside.

We also meet the Haskell family from 100 years earlier. They are a miserable, mean, unhappily wed couple who also have two children. Claris, the mother, marries Danial, which is odd due to the fact that Danial is a strange man, mean, cold, nasty, rude. Claris comes from a fun-loving, music-loving, happy, close-knit family and marrying Danial turns out to be the BIGGEST mistake of her young life.

All of these characters become involved with each other through ghosts and/or lost souls -- what have you. This book is a story of two couples and their relationships and how both of these relationships are intertwined even though they lived 100 years apart. The book tells of love, hate, hauntings, murder, great secondary characters, good story line, and history.

The wildly happy couple -- Hannah and Conary and the miserable, hateful couple -- Danial and Claris -- will stay in your mind for a long time. The book tells the stories of these two couples and their families in a way that will delight and scare you. This is good writing. I also enjoyed the history of the area, be it true or not!

This is a very well written book, one I thoroughly enjoyed, and one I will highly recommend to my friends/family.

Thank you!!! Pam

In "More Than You Know," Beth Gutcheon tells two stories, both set in a town in Maine, at once: first the story of Hannah Gray and the summer she spent with her irritating stepmother and the love of her life, Conary Crocker and second the story of the Haskells, a family that could not stand each other. As Hannah faces her own struggle with Edith (her stepmom), a spirit from the past begins to haunt her. At the same time, she begins to look into the Haskell murder mystery, which occurred many years before her time. The novel is about discovering our pasts and the importance of moving on--the danger of closing our minds to the world around us. Hannah becomes freer in her relationship with Conary while discovering what isolated and unhappy lives the Haskells lived because they were alone on an island and would not admit their anxiety and anger. This discovery is important to what happens later in Hannah's life: a reverence of the past, tradition and family, but not a slavish devotion to it. The ambitious, well-written and impressive novel is crafted beautifully and effectively. The problem is, in the end, the storylines are not all that exciting. Gutcheon's story needed more pizzaz, more flash and more style to draw the reader in more. She does all she can with the spare storyline, but to really accentuate the meaning of the novel, she needed to highlight it, rather than watercolor it across the page.

I watched the recent BBC version of the Northanger Abbey story first and loved it. I'm a Jane Austen fan who hasn't read all the novels but I'm working on it. So I got the novel to see how it compared. It was great! I love her humor - tongue in cheek and so witty. But the thing I really want to comment favorably about is the Penguin Classics edition. I get so much background and insight and explanatory information from these editions. I've read 3 of them now and they are marvelous. I've read quite a few novels from this era and it is really helpful to have notes to refer to in the back that explain things.

This is my first Austen novel, and I must say, I don't know what all the hype is about. I thought it was excruciatingly slow at times, and then all of a sudden it was fast and over. Some of the writing was beautiful and poetic, but that is like 5% of the book. The other 95% of the book was pretty boring to me. Maybe I am jaded by all the horror and mysteries I read where I am used to fast paced suspense, but seriously, I would read one chapter a day or maybe two with this book and that was all I could handle, because it would make me tired. I felt no connection with the main character Catherine, and I found myself not caring what happened to her, good or bad. I just wanted the book to be over.

Jane Austen wrote "Northanger Abbey" in the late 1790's, but it was not finally published until 1818, after her death. It is a broad satire of the Gothic Romance novels popular in her day. Its lead character, the innocent young Catherine Morland, is moderately attractive, good-hearted, and highly imaginative, but perhaps the least compelling of Austen's heroines. Nevertheless, Jane Austen's excellent writing gifts are on display in this short novel, which offers some superbly funny dialogue, witty commentary on social manners, and a sympathetic heroine.

Catherine is offered the opportunity to vacation in the resort town of Bath by family friends Mr. and Mrs. Allen. In Bath, she falls in with two people her own age, Isabella and John Thorpe. Isabella is to be engaged to Catherine's brother James, while John, a college friend of James, takes an interest in Catherine. The Thorpes involve the inexperienced Catherine in the social whirl of Bath. They will also provide her with some hard lessons in manners.

Catherine also meets Henry and Elinor Tilney, a brother and sister who introduce her to walks and intellectual discussion. Their father, the imposing General Tilney, invites Catherine to visit the family estate of Northanger Abbey. Catherine eagerly accepts the invitation, in part to stay close to Henry, on whom she has a crush, and in part to see the ancient abbey, sure to be the embodiment of her cherished Gothic Romances.

Catherine's willingness to see dark secrets in ordinary events leads her on a search of the Abbey for clues to the suspected murder of General Tilney's wife. In a gentle confrontation, Henry ends the search, but is not able to save her from the sudden wrath of the General, who banishes her from the Abbey. A heartbroken Catherine is separated from Henry and Catherine, and returned unceremoniously to her home. There, an unexpected visit by Henry Tilney will offer an explanation for what happened at Northanger Abbey and a chance to reunite with the Tilneys.

Readers expecting a story with the heft of "Pride and Prejudice" or "Mansfield Park" may be disappointed. However, "Northanger Abbey" is a fun book on its own terms, very much a Jane Austen product and likely to be enjoyed by her fans. It is highly recommended as an entertaining read.

As a lover of Austen novels, it is well worth reading "Northanger Abby", which was Austen's first (but last published) novel. As her first novel, her writing style is still rough and lacks some of the refinment of her later works, but she still brings her sharp eye for satire and examination of societal/marriage topics. Catherine Morland pales in comparison to later strong heronies like Elizabeth Bennet or Fanny Price, but she's delightful to read and chuckle about her naive outlook on life.

Northanger Abbey is a gem. Jane Austen (1775-1817)has written a charmiing little novel about a charming little lady named Catherine Moreland. Catherine is 15 as the novel begins in Wiltshire. She and the hilariously stupid Mrs. Allen go on a six week trip to nearby Bath to take the waters. Catherine meets the fashionable and fast Isabella Thorpe. Catherine dances with the clergyman Henry Tilney at a ball becoming infatuated with the clever young man. Henry and Catherine share a love for the Romantic Gothic novels of such authors as Ann Radcliff and Fanny Burney. Complications ensue but in the end the couple are wed.
The first half of the novel deals with doings in Bath; the second half is a trip taken by Catherine to the Tilney estate Northanger Abbey. Catherine thinks the house may contain a ghost as she is influenced in her thinking by a vivid imagination fueled by her sensational Gothic reading.
Minor characters are of interest: Captain Frederick Tilney the ladies man brother of Henry; old General Tilney the gruff father of Fred and Henry; Catherine's parents and Eleanor Tilney the kind and lovely sister of the two Tilney boys with whom Catherine forms a solid friendship.
The book includes a spirited defense of the art of novel writing by Miss Austen. It is a light and commonplace tale of young love told with the wit and wisdom of one of England's greatest authors. This less well known Austen novel is a delightful way to become an addict of the spinster from Hawton parsongage!

I love N.R's Trilogies. This is one of my favorite. I OVER LOVE the Three Sister's Island trilogy, my most favorite of all.

I notice others who commented on this trilogy about the "slow pace" of the other 2 books to this series and totally disagree.
I believe a trilogy is all about scooping you up in the first book and gliding you along and giving you the history and beginnings of the storyline. As you come to the end of the first book, I am enthralled and begin the 2nd book where I am swept futher into the story and become engrossed to the point of "nothing else in my life is going to get attention till I get to the end of this trilogy."

As you become attached to book 2, you MUST have book 3 and become one and the same with the characters till you own them as your own.

This conclusion to the "in the garden" series escalated to a climax totally NOT where you think it would go as far as the Harper Bride is concerned.

Hayley, Lily and Harper become the unit you saw happenning in book 1 to the extent that you couldn't possibly see it any other way.

I won't bore you with the storylines, as you can read excerpts from others and the front of the book gives you a hint.

I would suggest that you have all 3 books to sit and read at once.

In this one, we continue with a ghost haunting... it takes the lives/loves of three fabulous couples to find the answers to Who? What? Where? When? and How? Kinda like a mystery within a romance.

I am not big into mysteries, cuz I am a romantic at heart, so the mystery does not overshadow the romanace and gives a little intrigue.... I DID enjoy this haunting.

You started with Stella in Book 1 "Blue Dahlia", widow and mother of two boys, who finds Logan; and then on with Roz and Mitch, "Black Rose", 40's, three grown boys and the 'matriarch' in this storyline. No, not the mother but the one who brings the 3 women together in her fabulous home and creates a sisterhood/family throughout this trilogy.

The intensity of the storyline continues and the lives blend further. It's a "can't put this down" book.

The storyline will end with Hayley, young pregnant and brave, who struggles with herself before she falls for Harper.

I absolutely LOVED David in here as well, and wish there had been a storyline for him that ended in a romance as well.

This is not the first time I have read this trilogy. I keep and reread these stories every few years. I never want to put the books down.

Great read, but plan for a full week of reading if you have all 3 books in this trilogy.

Of the In the Garden series this book was my favorite. After reading the first two novels in the series, the more I read about Harper and Hayley the more I couldn't wait to get the other books out of the way so I could read this one. This one by far was my favorite of the series.

In the past two books you can 'see' the relationship develop between Harper and Hayley, and in "Red Lily" you get to 'see' more. As Harper and Hayley become closer, Hayley starts thinking thoughts that aren't her own. The ghost decides to take over Hayley's body to get her story across. After every invasion you can see how its affecting Hayley, she becomes more tired and isn't like her normal bubbly self. All the characters decide it would be best for everyone if they could give the ghost some kind of ending so everyone can move on.

This was a great conclusion to the In The Garden series.

I liked the first two in the trilogy and am about to start Red Lily - yes, I haven't even read it. But it's a romance and not exactly hard to guess the plot.

Aren't Harper and Hayley cousins though? Ick! I'm going to try to make my way through Red Lily and I am going to read reviews to see if I can find something that makes this not true. But isn't anyone else concerned she is going to date a relative???

It tied up the trilogy neatly, which was it's purpose, but it wasn't the best of the 3 books.

Harper and Haley finally get their story. Through the entire series they have gotten to know and love each other. Haley came to Harper House pregnant and very alone, but now has a large extended loving family. She is desperate to let Harper know her feelings, but fears from both of them keep desires hidden.

Amelia, the Harper Bride escalates her violent tendencies as soon as the love between Haley and Harper becomes evident. Haley, Harper, Roz, Mitch, Stella, and Logan race against time to solve the mystery before something tragic happens.

The final book in the garden series did not disappoint!! I loved the entire series, and it will be a permanent addition to my library.

I was hooked on the Donovan's after "Amber Beach". After I read "Jade Island" I was ready to walk away. I am so glad I didn't. "Midnight at Rubhy Bayou" takes a little twist away from the ordinary dangers the Donovan family faces by adding a little of the supernatural. It really is a great read.

Very good book higlhy recommend buying it. Dissappointed that shes not writing stories for Justin and Lawe the last two donovan brothers that are twins I might have to boycott buying her books until she comes out with stories for the last two Donovans.

This is the 4th book in EL's Donovan series, and like the other 3 this is a book that is hard to put down. It has plenty of action and the relationship between Faith Donovan and Owen Walker is developed slowly but tantalizing enough to keep you turning pages to see what will happen next between them. I liked Owen a lot. I don't think it mattered that he was a less educated and a smaller man than the other heros in the first three novels, namely Kyle, Jake, and Archer. He was just as smart, just as intelligent, just as sexy,just as honorable, and just as deadly. It says a hell of lot when Archer Donovan trusts you to take care of his little sister. Archer's trust was not misplaced as we find out in the development of the story as he comes to Faith's aid again and again. One of my most favorite scenes was when he met up with Faith's obnoxious and much larger ex-boyfriend. It was hilarious and very well written.

As far as heroines go, Faith was somewhat lacking when compared with the other Donovans. However, she was intelligent, gifted, and sweet; not quite a hot head as her other siblings. However, I think that rich girl Faith did very well for herself with Owen. A guy that put her needs first, in and out of the bedroom. Cudos to EL for bringing us a heroine who needs a little help in achieving fulfillment in the bedroom. After all, I think that most women do.

Why this one didn't get 5 stars you may ask? Mostly, because I didn't like the way EL ended the love story between Faith and Owen. Owen felt very strongly about being reponsible for others; also, I think that he had some reservations about his much lower socio-economic background. I would have liked EL to take them back home and let us in on some real soul searching for Owen before he came to the conclusion that he was ready for being responsible for a wife and family.The rest of the Donovan guys could have helped him along.It would have been a perfect ending to an otherwise great story.

Had to read this book after reading Pearl Cove and enjoying yummmmmmmmy Archer Donovan and his love Hannah. Faith Donovan the youngest sister and jewelry designer and Owen Walker best friend and Ruby expert goes with Faitn Donovan to the Bayous for her best friends wedding and to present her a beautiful Ruby Necklace. But, the Heart of Midnight a giant ruby is lost and a Russian is trying to find it and murder anyone who gets in his way and Faith may be next. I really enjoyed this one. I would like her to write about their twin brothers and the Emerald trade,but I highly doubt it. Looking forward to reading Color in Death by her and all about Sapphires. Read this book it's highly recommend.

Lowell just doesn't let her readers down with the lovable Donovan clan. Recommendation: Start with "Amber Beach" and then work your way to this one. See her complete book list and the order in which they go at: www.elizabethlowell.com

I came to THE GLORY OF IT ALL via Pat Montandon's slightly over-the-top memoir, WHISPERS FROM GOD (formerly THE HELL OF IT ALL, a take-off on the title of this book). I listened to this book on CD and it was well-performed by the reader.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and dimly remembered Ms. Montandon, who lived and was famous/infamous here from the early 60's to approx. the 1990's. That was why I picked up her memoir. I was unaware of her contentious divorce from Al Wilsey, or more accurately his divorce from her - "for her best friend" - back in the 80's. The divorce is central to her story and to this one.

Though the Montandon book was a "guilty pleasure" sort of read, Sean Wilsey's book is well written, engaging and even fascinating.

Basically, Sean's is the story of an only child with two older parents, both very successful in their own fields, both extremely self-involved. Neither seemed to have been a particularly capable parent before the divorce - but when the divorce comes (he's about 10,) Sean gets completely lost in the shuffle - with the able assistance of his new step-mom. Little did step-mom know as she was doing her cruel best to hurt Sean and distance him from his dad that he would grow up to write a scathing memoir one day! And the timing of its publication fairly coincided with the reopening of San Francisco's esteemed DeYoung Museum - a project for which the step-mom prominently fundraised and received much press. Talk about raining on someone's parade...however, if this tale is only half true step-mom was asking for it. Meanwhile, Sean's own mom was lost wallowing in her own rage, humiliation and self-pity at being dumped for a lesser woman (Pat was known for her looks, step-mom seems not to have been) who posed as her friend and stole her man. Mom then goes off the New Age deep end in globetrotting pursuit of world peace (?!?). Sean's dad, Al - well, he had other children of earlier marriages and seems to have moved with relative ease from family to family on his way to great wealth and social prominence.

Sean's personal tale of family rejection, floundering in the world, failing at a variety of schools, and ultimately resurrecting himself is well worth reading/listening to. I'm sure his story has much in common with that of any child who's been the pawn in a messy divorce, been neglected by parents, or the target of a malevolent step-parent - whether rich, middle-class or poor.

Though much of this story is sad, Wilsey writes with wry humor, irony and even compassion and avoids self-pity. In the end Sean not only survives but flourishes and comes to terms with the past.

Like Sean Wilsey's life, this book is full of ups and downs. The book moves in waves, and at the risk of being too metaphorical, it literally is like the ocean. The chapters crescendo, hitting the reader hard. This book brought forth so many emotions for me. I laughed, I almost cried (like some of the main characters, I was medicated during my reading), I was angered, I was annoyed. The author does not present his life story in order for the reader to judge him or his family/acquaintances. Therefore, it is unfair to review this book for its character development. Wilsey presents the characters warts and all, including himself. I do not think he wants the reader to feel sorry for him. I didn't. As he says throughout the book, this was just the way his life is and he was doing his best to get through it, year by year. Going back to the wave metaphor, this book definitely has its low tide moments. There are certain passages and in fact whole chapters I wanted to be over. However, he strikes back right away to keep you moving through the book. Other reviewers of this book have complained about its length and its need for substantive edits. I disagree. It is not the readers place to suggest edits for one's memoir. The reader needs to invest in Wilsey's writing by trusting him to convey his story at his own pace. I did. It was worth it. Sean Wilsey's memoir is a great read, brilliantly put together, and the best memoir I have read. If you are willing to trust the author and set aside a few weeks to get through it, "Oh the Glory of it All" is a fantastically, engaging book.

I did not actually read the book but I listened to it in the CD version. Being a New Yorker, I must be a bit insulated because I have never heard of the Wilsey family. As such, I spent the first 75% of the listening time thinking it was fictional. Spoke to a friend in San Fran to suggest the book and he made me realize these were real people.

My first reaction was shock and rage at Dede who is Sean's step mother for the horrible things she said to Sean as a child during some very tender years. I saw it as a cruel form of abuse and if it were physical, she would have been put in jail. What a horrible woman. When she dies, she will surely occupy one of the warmer parts of hell.

I found the book itself to be great. A wonderful story that made me cringe. They say the rich are different. Perhaps that is right but at the bottom line, I would not have traded my life of street pizza and stick ball in Brooklyn for one day of Sean's money or childhood.

Read this book. I highly recommended it. You will not be sorry that you read this book. As far as Sean is concerned, I think he is well and living in NYC. I hope he has put it behind him and is enjoying life in that most magical city.

I have always wanted to become filthy rich. Like many, I have succeeeded on occasion in the former but never in the latter. Sean Wilsey, author of "Oh the Glory of It All," wants to become filthy rich too, and he has a much better shot at it than I do. In fact, the life he desires is so close, so within his reach, that it is happening mere blocks from his home and is being lived by his father (along with Dad's new wife and his two Stepford stepsons) while Sean and his mother fester and scheme in their duplex penthouse atop Russian Hill.

In the wake of her apparently well-plotted abandonment, Sean's mom -- Pat Montandon -- wants him to commit suicide with her, or maybe she'll just die of cancer. Pat's not sure but methods of revenge are discussed. The means of manipulation she employs are not lost on Sean. They frighten and enlighten him. Al Wilsey has left Pat, a society columnist, for, well, society. And Sean is left out. (In the movie version, Pat Montandon should be played by Sharon Stone. She'd be perfect. I can see her now rapping with the Black Panthers at one of her post-divorce roundtable discussions in the '70s.)

DeDe, Sean's new stepmom, is a real piece of, uh, work. DeDe holds the key to admittance into the charmed life Sean's father is now leading without him. Sean fawns over DeDe on the rare occasions he sees her, fantasizes about her in his bedroom, but he can't break in, until he breaks in literally, ripping the door off his father's mansion and stealing some of his possessions. He makes his point. But he doesn't stop there. When his aggressive, angry nature surfaces, the reader doesn't see it coming. He has portrayed himself, up to this point, as a passive personality.

Something must be done before Sean kills someone. (He has taken to tossing fruit off the penthouse balcony, barely missing pedestrians 800 feet below.) Sean's a druggie drinker with a skateboard and no use for studying. This is his long-aborning cry for help, but it leaves his family confused. Now both his mother and father are fed up with him. Instead of acknowledging his intelligence and creativity, Dad sends him to various "lock-down schools," as DeDe calls them, even escorting him to a couple.

We don't understand the disconnect between father and son. Mirror images, we see they love each other. They have a touching closeness, literally and figuratively. Is it just the appearance of DeDe in their lives, or is it Sean? Probably a combo deal - Dad's got a cute little heiress, and even though he's rich, she's richer and he'll do just about anything she says to keep her. She'd prefer not to have a reminder of the woman she stabbed in the back to get her husband. Bye bye Sean.

Unfortunately, the book lags as we follow Sean on his revolving-door boarding school escapades. This is not good because it takes us away from DeDe. Just like Sean, we want DeDe also. But we want her in a different way. Her malevolent presence enlivens the narrative of this book. Without her, we don't care as much. Without DeDe, this book is just another memoir about a teenager finding himself. Take a walk past any high school and you'll see the same story played out right there in your neighborhood. In fact, I'd venture a guess that many of these neighborhood memoirists might have a better tale to tell.

Of course the props are better in "Oh the Glory of It All." Sean can name them all, and does, lustily. He has taken early to the glimpse of wealth he was raised with and furious when it is taken away. At the end, he even mentions the hearse carrying Dad to his final rest is a "late model." (Like his dad?)

We already know that there's no money for Sean or his siblings in the will, and one suspects this is why he wrote the book. He blames DeDe when he realizes the money is all going to charity, and that he will not have a hand in the charity selected.

DeDe knows that Al Wilsey wants his name on something in San Francisco, and she knows how to do it. Wilsey Court is the first thing you see at the DeYoung Museum.

If you have ever lived with an especially toxic stepparent, you will ache for Sean Wilsey as he tries to find himself and connect with his father. Al Wilsey, though, can't help but like women better than he likes his own offspring. He doesn't care if they're rich or poor as long as they're hot. When Sean is bringing his father to life, he does a great job.

As another reviewer says, "[Wilsey] often seems to be writing with an open heart, and out of an open wound. If only a fraction of the stories he relates are true--he tells us that Dede routinely berated him for being a "faggot" when he was a boy--you will want to give him a hug."

And maybe suggest he get a job. Ahhh, but apparently he doesn't have to. While he is not as rich rich as Dad was, he's well-off himself, even without having written the hit job on his folks. You won't find this in the book, however.

Three stars. Great read.

Just when you think this memoir thing has played out...Sean Wilsey comes along and jazzes it up several notches. Almost as much fun as actually hurling fruit bombs off the penthouse deck at passing cars (a scene of Wilsey's veritable mispent youth), and as rousing as a song & dance number from Pippin, this book is relentlessly funny/poignant in the way that it takes no prisoners and puts everyone, especially Wilsey, under the psychic microscope. Like an imaginary blend of Salman Rushdie, Philip Roth and Tobias Wolf, this book kept me up several nights in a row just to see how Wilsey would get through the awful emotional pin-ball game of his youth. If for no other reason, I had to see if he might actually realize his fantasy of following in his father's footsteps, and bedding the villainous step-mom Dede -- the new gold-standard for narcissism and cruelty. I won't tell you what happens. Just buy the damn thing! Read it! Have a blast! This one will be hard to top.

The judge has really gotten herself in a bind in this book, however it's the classic "damsel in distress" here and also the "only one man can save her"...same old same old. I think Ms. Hoag ran out of ideas with this one. Some authors crank out books when they're running out of money...this appears to be the case with this book.

The storyline is okay, but predictable. To be fair, there is a lot of suspense and violence, but I was sick to death of the constant sexual descriptions and the "perfect" body descriptions, especially at the age of the two main characters. If MY body was as perfect as theirs are at that age, then why are they cop and judge and not Mr. America and Ms. USA?

Ms. Hoag needs to take a vacation to drum up new topics to write about.

I liked this book but I didn't think it was great. The cops are cliche, the hard nosed cop rescuing the damsel in distress and falling in love with her. The partner cop, a female hard nosed cop. The plot is good with an odd strange villian. It was fairly easy to figure out who done it.

This was my first Tami Hoag book. I won't say it's the last, but I probably will choose other authors over her. This book was like a mediocre TV show at best. Too much time was spent on irrelvant issues and facts. I mean, the (paperback) version is over 500 pages! Way too drawn out. And the author seemed to take a few incredulous shortcuts to satisfy a plot point. I have to admit that the last few hundred pages were the most gripping. Maybe I've been reading John Sandford too long!

I got Prior Bad Acts as soon as I finished Dust To Dust, having had fallen in love with the characters, Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska. If you're a fan of Kovac/Liska from prior books Ashes to Ashes and Dust to dust, then this is a must read. I thought this one was the best though.

Prior Bad Acts is not only a page turner, plot and execution wise, it gives more insight into these two fascinating characters and more of their story wrapped in a very well done, fast paced thriller. I did figure out the villain before the end, but Ms. Hoag always manages to keep shred of doubt hovering around none the less. There are several who could be it.

I did like the development of the relationship between Carry Moore and Kovac, which was not overdone, and which was a nice diversion from all the debauchery in the main story line. I really like the Judge Carry Moore character as well, very tough, straight forward, confident, and yet, vulnerable, which seems to be a trade mark female character for Hoag's later mystery/thriller books.

There is a tendency towards graphic violence in this novel, but I didn't mind that and didn't find it to be gratuitous. I will probably re-read this one again because I was reading it very fast to keep up with my desire to know what was going to happen next.

Not bad, a decent amount of action, suspense and character development. No one part of the book drags. The plot twist regarding the original triple-murderer was pretty much expected, it was just a question of who. I found Karl Dahl , the main bad guy, to be a little unbelievable. SPOILER ALERT. To be a near-homeless social misfit who's then able to pull off various evasions, disguises, ruses, murders and kidnappings -- well it just strains belief a bit.

Although I was hardly surprised, I still didn't much like the fact that the author badmouths what is a crucial weapon in a prosecutor's arsenal, the introduction into evidence of the accused's prior bad acts. The law has a fiction that a person's prior bad acts shouldn't be used in the case at bar, but fortunately over time common sense has whittled this down to basically any prior bad act can be used if it's not introduced just to show propensity (and that's why we now have civil commitment hearings, to get that propensity evidence in anyhow -- Hendricks v. Kansas.). Most likely Ms Hoag is one of those tender souls who would move us toward having every defendant at bar considered to be a legal virgin.