Invitations Books

This book is hard to put down once you start. Its one of the best books I've read in a long time. What's amazing is that Operation Vinland - the story of Erika Lehmann and the Mayer family is a true story with some of the unknow details fictionalized. This is a must read!

I found this book difficult to start at first - it was not as engaging as I had hoped it would be. Not to spoil the storyline for anyone who is thinking of reading the book - but the change of heart by the lead character seemed to be too dramatic and/or happened to quickly and there was little explanation.

I bought the book because of the storyline - and did enjoy the read.

Maybe I'm biased because I grew up near Evansville, Indiana, and have seen first-hand many of the landmarks that provide the setting for this book, but I found this work an absolutely pleasant surprise. I didn't have high hopes simply because the trailers made it sound like a spy novel. It's a spy novel I couldn't put down. It also dives into the thought processes and propaganda machines of Nazi Germany, enlightening the reader as to why history turned out the way it did. This is one I won't forget for a while.

I am an avid reader and "Invitation To Valhalla" is one of the best reads I have come across in a long time. Being that I was born in Evansville and spent the war years there, this book took me back to places and times that were an important part of my youth. It is truly a book that you cannot put down once you start. A highly recommended read.

Gerald Hardig

It's great when you have one you can't put down. They don't come along often enough. By the time you are half-way through this book you might as well forget about going to bed.

This is a great book! My only downfall is that I keep giving away my copies. I was attracted to this book because of the cover first of all. I Love Coffee! I was also looking for a short morning devotional. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to wake up their soul and start living their life for God. This would make a great gift for a new believer.

I did this book with a group of ladies and it was awesome. Each chapter touched deep into my life. The ladies in our group come from all walks of life and it touched each of them as well. A great book!

I am reading this book a second time, this time with a group. It never fails to wake me up, help to look deeper at things I do and why I do them.

It saddens me to see the author attacked here as a hypocrite, b/c if we get honest how many of is aren't hypocrites? Can we all say we take our own advice 100% of the time? Ye who are without sin, throw the first stone. Go and sin no more.

The author steps out of her comfort zone and gets gut-wrenchingly honest in this book. No, she isn't perfect. I don't recall her claiming to be. Read this book if you are a real woman with real sin and real redemption. You'll find it's real good.

As one of the immensely popular "Women of Faith" conference speakers, actress/author Johnson doesn't need my plug--but she gets it! Her writing is vunerable, deep, and funny. I especially liked her musings about savoring our sexuality (a topic often overlooked or avoided by the Church) and embracing our beauty. Each chapter also includes fun coffee trivia. (Side note: I led a Bible study on this book at my church, and it was a big hit with the younger women. We all loved her video presentations that were included with the study guide and students' books. They made us think, laugh, and cry, within the space of five minutes! Her "mom" segment is priceles--I can't believe she doesn't have kids of her own!) Be sure and have a journal and highlighter nearby when you read Fresh-Brewed Life, because you'll want to remember a lot of what this author says. The book is comforting and stimulating at the same time--just like a good cup of joe. :)

This book literally jumped off the shelf at me! I LOVE coffee, so I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but the whole coffee theme/book cover is what snagged me. The next thing I knew, I was at the checkout stand. That night I began reading this amazing little book and the next day, returned to purchase an armload of more copies to send my best friends. My copy now has underlined passages and margin notes all over it! I can't even begin to describe how it has spoken to me and influenced me at this point in my life. These are messages I needed to hear. Nicole sure knows how to cut to the chase and speak right to the heart. It's been an extremely refreshing experience reading this book . . . which gives "wake up and smell the coffee" a whole new meaning!

Max Lucado is an artist! He paints pictures with his words. All his books are like that, but this one is superb!

We are using it as a women's group study. It lends itself wonderfully and quite easily to this venue. I have never seen the excitment and participation in a small group that this book has generated. But most exciting is the growth of the each women's understanding of Who God is to her (and who she is to HIM) presented in a unusual perspective. The result has been a steadily increasing sense of awe and trust and surrender ~ and a very obvious deepening of each woman's relationship with Him. I would highly recommend this book as a wonderful small group study.

Thanks, Max, you have blessed us ~ again!

With this book, I was lead through the Lord's Prayer and the House of God and understood more of what it means to live in "God's House." Max Lucado is a WONDERFUL author and such an inspiration! Thank you a lot. This book is a great devotional book, or a great book to just read for enjoyment.
~Kristen

Each Chapter has its very own message, and each really opened my heart with great understanding to God's love. I plan to purchase this book for my family members as a Christmas gift.

Lucado takes the Lord's Prayer (our Father, who is in heaven...) and breaks it down into many little parts - giving each part a "room" in the "great house" of God. It shed new light on the Lord's Prayer and I haven't looked at it the same.

Absolutely terrific writing. Classic Lucado - descriptive, prescriptive, and very emotionally connected to the reader. It is written in such a way that Max is the tour guide showing you all the rooms and how we can have a place there.

If you're looking to reconnect with God or for a breath of fresh air in looking at Scripture, this is a great book.

I have just finished this book and it was wonderful! Rev. Lucado has a delightful, conversational style that makes for easy reading. It's almost like having your own personal Bible teacher.
How often we take the Lord's Prayer for granted! We repeat the words mechanically with little thought to their meaning. Rev. Lucado puts these timeless words in a new perspective, bringing fresh meaning that will touch your heart. His description of Heaven brings both comfort and longing to the soul. A must read for all Christians whose view of God's Heavenly Kingdom is somewhat blurred!

Simple. Consciouness. Presence. Each time I sit with Leonard's books, no matter how often I have read a passage, it speaks to my soul.

This is a wonderful book, but it is best understood if one first receives his own direct spiritual awakening by connecting with the Power of God. I was able to receive this contact through the association of Subud. Reading Leonard's books helps guide me in putting my spiritual experience into practice. I recommend all three books.

This book is a definite help to understand the play of unconscious mind in life. The smooth flowing poetry like sentences run around the themes of man's reality perceived through conditioned mind, childhood experiences and formation of unconscious mind, passing reference to collective unconscious mind, man's fear of the unknown, relationships Vs relating, looking for unconditional love and acceptance, fear of rejection, fear of failure, unconscious beliefs, emotional pain etc.

Author's definitions on the three levels of consciousness viz. level of mind, level of Being (Christ Consciousness), and level of Eternal (God consciousness), and five keys to awakening provide the beginning lessons for a seeker interested in specific instruction.

References to words and phrases, on pages 5, 72, 161, 229, 249, listed at the end of this review, such as 'God and my Being', soul, past incarnations, future lifetimes, 'moments of transcendence', 'offer yourself to God' etc go against the only ultimate Truth of 'Only God Is'. This contributes its own confusion. This is more so because the author does not make himself clear about 'God Consciousness' in comparison to 'Being Consciousness'.

The author's note on Page 8 recognizes its purpose as:

The words in the book are powerful.
They can inspire you towards your own
awakening or they can act as a guide
for those already on the path.
Some of the words
need to be meditated upon.

Comments on Christianity and its psyche built on the past, on page 93, is a very interesting observation:

Christianity is a major obstacle to the
awakening of human consciousness.
There is a very simple reason for this.
To awaken, it is necessary to let go
of attachments from the past and
move into the present moment.
The present moment is the
doorway to God and the Eternal.
Christians are focused on the past.
On Jesus.
It is time to take Jesus
down from the cross.

Please read a few other helpful sentences from this book, below:

Page 55

I think.
Therefore I am not.
I think not.
Therefore I am.

Page 58

The present moment
is never involved in thinking.
Whenever you think,
you must be thinking of something
from the past
or something in the future.

Page 61

If you give up the dream,
you also give up the nightmare.

Three levels of consciousness:

Level of mind (Page 68)

At the level of mind, the focus is on the past
and the future, which are constantly projected
onto the present moment.
The reality of the present moment is never truly
experienced and the illusions projected
by the mind are mistaken for reality.

Level of Being (Page 69)

You are focused in the here and now,
experiencing the reality
of the present moment.
You are free from the bondage of the past.
You have no anxiety about the future.
Life is lived in freedom and joy.
You have become grounded in silence.

Level of Eternal (Page 69)

Very little can be said about this level.
It cannot be described or even imagined.
It is what Jesus refers to
as the Kingdom of Heaven.
There is no time.
Everything is in perfect harmony.
It is the realm of Gods.
God. Silence. Eternity. Oneness. Union.

Page 92

God consciousness is the final
stage of the journey.
Christ consciousness indicates that
you are almost there.

Meditation:

Page 75

The aim of meditation is to bring
the whole play of mind to consciousness.
If you really understand the nature of the mind
and if you see clearly what it is doing,
you open the way to transcend it.

Enlightenment:

Page 79

Enlightenment is an ongoing process of allowing
everything up from the darkness of the
unconscious mind into the light of consciousness,
until one day, the darkness has disappeared
completely. You are fully enlightened.

Helping:

Page 85

Be very wary of allowing your ego
to become involved in helping others.
The ego always has a hidden agenda.
It is subtly trying to place itself
above the ones being helped.

Page 105

Repentance is not true repentance
if there is any sense of
spiritual reward.

A Bird's Eye view of the Mind:

Page 128

The beliefs which were formed in early childhood
about yourself, others and life are programmed
into your mind, at an unconscious level,
and define you and determine
your experience of life.

. . . .

Page 129

The more you are watchful in a spirit
of unconditional love and acceptance,
the more you will become awakened.

Keys to awakening:

Page 142

The most important key to awakening is to be
unconditionally loving and accepting
of yourself at the level of mind,
which includes all those things
you would like to change about yourself.

Page 143

The second key to awakening
is to allow your emotions full expression.

Page 144

The third key to awakening is confession.
If you confess these qualities to some one
who is absolutely non-judgmental,
and who is fully present,
it helps you to own the quality
to which you are confessing.

Page 145

The fourth key to awakening is to accept
full responsibility for yourself.
This will release you from the world of
expectation, resentment, blame and guilt.
It will lead you into total freedom.

Page 145

The fifth key to awakening is to let go.
Dance.
Lose control.

Looking back:

Page 232

If you must look back into the past,
then look back with understanding
and compassion.

. . .

Your parents didn't know anything about
unconditional love and acceptance
because they had never
received it from their parents.
And their parents had never received it.
So you can see that
no one is to blame.

Page 233

It just happened, because of the degree of
unconsciousness at a collective level.
All that can be done now is that you take
responsibility for your own awakening
and the chain of unconsciousness
will be broken, at least for you.

Page 234

Whenever you are lost in the mind,
don't try to sort it out.
Don't try to fix yourself up.
Just ask yourself,
"How do I return to Being?"

Page 235

When you are caught up in
something at the level of mind,
the way back to Being is simple.
First clearly identify what it is
that you are caught in.
Is it jealousy, fear, unworthiness
or something else?
Identify it. Feel it. Own it.
Express it. Confess it.

Confusing statements that confirm reality of Individuality:

Page 5

God was an allowing God who filled my whole Being with an overwhelming sense of unconditional love and acceptance.

Page 72

And it is not just the child
who is walking behind you.
All the identities from past incarnations
are still with you.
The seeker. The pirate.
The highwayman. The sage.

Page 161

Repentance must be true repentance.
It must be felt in your heart.
It must occur at the level of soul.

. . .

The rest of your life will have to be a living
demonstration of the truth of your repentance.
It must continue into future lifetimes.

Page 229

In moments of transcendence,
I disappear and only God remains.
In those sacred moments,
I know that God is and that I am
and that God and I are One.

Page 249

The highest form of prayer
is to offer yourself to God.

* * * * *

This author is very poetic and the many of the passages in this book are extremely inspiring. Just reading his writing in incredibly soothing. The author believes that there is a simple way to reach an awakened and enlightened state of mind. Though this sounds appealing to people in our modern fast food/fast everything/instant gratification culture, I feel that this may be a little too optimistic. I think that although we can all experience temporary states of mind like this, this is not the same as the state of mind reached by a person who has reached this state through many years of experiences in life. Toru Sato in his book "The Ever-Transcending Spirit" explains this long and emotional process in a very clear way. I'd highly recommend this book if you are interested in personal growth and happiness.

I purchased this book because of the high ratings given by Amazon reviewers. What I found when the book arrived was 256 pages that could easily have been put into 50 pages or less. There are many pages with a sentence or two in the middle of the page. The author states that the words are so powerful that they need that whole page. I think it was to extend a short manuscript to an appealing length. There doesn't really seem to be a theme, other than the author says he has had religious experiences and what he has learned is in the book. I would have liked to have known what the religious experiences were. I perceived the book as a collection of awakened-sounding phrases and attempted parables that didn't seem to go anywhere. The other Amazon reader reviews on this book are much clearer and more interesting than the book itself.

It wasn't until after I majored in sociology that I actually got around to reading the works of Perter L. Berger, although I had studied many works citing his, and Thomas Luckmann. This book is in my opinion the very best introduction to sociology I have read. Berger has a unique ability to articulate the fundamentals of sociology, the "sociological perspective" that has often been misunderstood and underappreciated in the world of the social sciences. This book is important to read by anyone in the social science fields, either sociology, psychology etc. Even if you have studied sociology extensively already, this book is still worth reading. Berger's dialectic theory of social reality construction is explicated, and also he discusses implications like existentialism of Sartre and other philosophical issues. A great book overall!! I also suggest his other books too, they are all great!

Each new sociology student must read this book during his or her first year into the discipline, and each sociologist must read this book (or the notes he made in the past about it) once every couple years. Peter Berger wrote one of the most compelling treatises into a social science, bridging theme with emotion, intellectual associations, nice metaphors and analogies and a wealth of humor.

The first chapter ("Sociology as an individual pastime") stands alone as an excellent introduction to the science of society. Berger invites us here to a party where the sociologist meets with a plethora of intellectuals and finally succeeds to transcend as a different and respectable member of the scientific community. If something, this chapter alone is worth the reading of the book. Shoots at the American academy coherent with Berger's (and ours) admiration for Thosrtein Veblen are combined with an un-dissimulated hate for all complete non-critical systems of belief, including organized religion, 20th Century communism, free-market capitalism and psychoanalysis. The tendencies known in the field at the start of the sixties are only deepened now, and so the critical words Berger throws at statistical reductionism are completely current: "in science as in love a concentration on technique is quite likely to lead to impotence" [p.13]. What there isn't to love in that?

At the same time Berger is preoccupied to maintain values and beliefs far from the scientific logic of a social science. How you can be a humanist if your values must be maintained outside of your field of competence? Well, sociology teaches us about the relativity of institutions. Freedom is considered to be inscrutable to science, but given the sociological perspective, it can be reached. So sociological thought is indispensable for the possibility of a free existence, and so becomes humanist in front of the supposedly unbreakable laws of social reality. Given that this is only a "perspective", this knowledge about society could also be used against or fellow men, and Berger is completely aware of that in an epoch so close to the age of totalitarism.

What an awe-inspiring book! Peter Berger presents a detailed description of what it means to study sociology, to be a sociologists, and how sociology can change the world. As an college student majoring in sociology, I found Berger's book to be phenomenal in its analysis of a world requiring sociological thought. After reading the book, I was once again reminded why I chose to study sociology in the first place.
This is a book for anyone who wishes to further understand the facets of the discipline of sociology, or to understand the dedication of a sociologists. Berger seems to present the idea that we all can be dedicated sociologists, in the hopes to understand why things are the way they are.
A facinating book that should be read by all! I was blown away and I will keep An Introduction to Sociology by Peter Berger upon my shelf as one of my greatest reads. A real treasure, one that opened my eyes further to sociology, to an understanding of social structures, and of myself.

Even with bright students (I am assuming some I have had are among the bright) there are problems with this book. It was a required text for my Sociology course in my student days and I have a fondness for what it did to me in leading me on to PB's "The Social Construction of Reality". SCR is clearly too difficult for most students and Invitation is much more accessible. Still, I have found students to be aghast at some of the expressions that clearly place it as a book of the sixties. On the other hand, I have not found a more accessible book that describes the postmodern point of view -- the view of sociology -- in as successful a way as this one. I therefore present it along with an explanation. It would be great if Peter Berger readdresses this invitation to new students with an update that incorporates politically correct language. The change in perspective is a tough experience. It would help if the language used were not an additional barrier.

I am still looking for a new book that will do the same thing to new students that this book did to me.

Before reading this book I was not a sociology student. After this book I realized that we are all students of sociology, some better than others. The better ones live in more freedom, more understanding, seeing through walls of the fortress that our society is. Everything looks so normal, until you start to dissect.

This is a short book, PACKED with information. Berger's English is superb. It flows naturally with creative sentence formations and use of vocabulary.

If you find yourself discouraged, you may skip the first chapter. I found it least interesting of them all. Chapters following are great and will keep you glued to your reading chair.

If you would like to learn to understand yourself & others, this is a good book.

This is a simply wonderful book. If you are reading this, you have probably been "searching" awhile and have read more than your share of "self-help" books. This is NOT another self-help book. Also.... if you are reading this... you have probably heard of or read books by people like Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj or Sri Ramana Maharshi (along with more contemporary teachers of what could be considered "non-duality", or Advaita Vedanta) or possibly something like A Course In Miracles. While people like Ramana and Nisargadatta were truly "Awake" beings (in my opinion), and works like A Course In Miracles point to that same Ultimate Truth, these books and teachers are often very difficult to understand, much less apply to your everyday life. (much of the writing is "dense" and overly poetic or steeped in Eastern verbiage and tradition) Well, Raphael's book, Setting Your Heart On Fire, is not like that, although it certainly points to that same Truth, which is what makes it so valuable. Most of us know that "self-improvement" in the way we've always thought of it, just doesn't work. At the same time, we sense, deep down, that the possibility of "Awakening" or "Enlightenment" (call it what you will) is no longer just for people like Jesus, Buddha, Ramana (not that it ever was just for certain people). It's what we all ARE, and it's time for us to become aware of the fact that WE are what we've been searching for. So, that leaves a world filled with people who are tired of "self improvement" and at the same time sense that there's something MORE....something REAL, but who don't have any idea how to embody and live that State. Well.... this book is a great place to start. That is why I'm describing it as a "bridge". This book, along with Raphael's first one, Unconditional Bliss, are fantastic "bridges" for people who can "see" the possibilty of discovering Who and What they really are, but who don't know how to get there. (not that there's anywhere to "get to"... one of the great paradoxes) Raphael is a wonderful writer and does a fabulous job of expressing these ideas... making them ACCESSIBLE, which is a rare thing in the world of "spiritual" books. He brings these Truths right down into the middle of your everyday life... the "messiness" that we all live with. The days of people feeling they need to run off to an ashram or monastery are over. If we are going to become a more spiritual, loving and compassionate people, we are going to have to do it in our daily lives, with kids, jobs, a mortgage, etc. When reading this book, I constantly found myself saying, "That is so true, that's exactly how I feel." Rarely does that happen when reading Nisargadatta! (laugh) Although both Raphael and the non-dual writers are pointing to the same Truth, Raphael makes it seem much more attainable and less "mystical". I think it's a great blessing to us all to have teachers like Raphael and books like this which point the way. So, get this book and let Raphael lead you across the bridge.... the bridge Home.

This book is absolutely amazing because it opens the door to dealing with any problem and also for opening the door into your own heart. I had the good fortune of attending a retreat with Raphael and he is so fantastic. He is just so genuine and authentic and his principles are so simple, yet so powerful.

First, let me say that I am biased. Raphael Cushnir reviewed my book, "Letters to My Friends: A No Guarantees Guide to Awakening." But I read his book before I asked him to review my book. And I asked him to review my book because I admired his book.

I do not think I am at all like Raphael Cushnir. I am the sort of man who will read the middle of a book first, then the beginning, and then the end. Or sometimes I will read the end first. But what I found in "Setting Your Heart on Fire" was a deliberate and disciplined approach to freeing myself from my own negative attitudes.

But do not misunderstand me; this is not another book about positive thinking. If anything it is a book about positive emotions. It is a book about being aware of yourself, so aware that your emotions and the thoughts that spring from them are witnessed by you as the observer of your own inner life.

Self awareness is the beginning of inner peace. And I truly believe that anyone who reads and practices what Raphael presents in "Setting Your Heart on Fire" will make great strides toward that rarest of all states--being at home with yourself. Thank you, John C. Conley, author of "Letters to My Friends: A No Guarantees Guide to Awareness."

This book changed my life and ALL my relationships. I now know how to handle any situation. Raphael is an incredible writer and also an inspirational speaker!

I love all the Angus books. Having owned a Scottie dog, I am particularly thrilled with the illustrations - they are so accurate. I used to read these to my daughter when she was a child & am now buying them for all my friends' little kids. I'll keep my set forever. The stories are so endearing.

My mommy helped me read this when I was a mere toddler. My mommy is gone and I am an old person now, but I want to thank mommy for introducing me to the lovable Angus! Each time she took me to the library, I lalways wanted to take out the same Angus books. And now, YEARS LATER, I want to own them all. One never grows tired of the spunky little terrier and his adventures. If you are an old curmudgeon, Angus will lower your blood pressure. If you are an adult and introduce a child to Angus today, they will be thanking you half a century later--trust me!
Keep going, my little Angus--I love you!

An absolutely wonderful and charming children's book that can be enjoyed by adults as well

This is one of three books about Angus, the little Scottish Terrier. He is like many small boys or girls
who do not want to stay safely at home, but want to take off and explore the world. Without being terribly scary
this story illustrates that sometimes we are not ready to do what we think we are ready to do, and that there are
good reasons for certain rules. Angus is very smart and learns quickly. I feel children relate to the way curiosity
tempts us to do things we should not do.

I also enjoy reading the Quack Quack Quackety Quack talk of the ducks to little children because they love
hearing an adult quack.

Oh Angus, how we love your stories! This little curious scottish terrier is more curious that Curious George. He goes off in winter to explore where the milkman goes, finds a dog friend, meets a goat who luckily is on a chain. He runs to find more adventure and gets caught overnight in the snow. He hears a sound he knows...the milkman and follows him on his route until he finds his way home. Very heartwarming story.

I bought this for my "almost" grandson's first birthday. I remember it from my farm and ranch childhood and now it will enchant another generation. It is somewhat "Dick and Jane"--very easy to memorize. Also it is nice to now have the board book for the really little ones.

My 14-month-old loves this book. We read it over and over again! We live in a fairly rural area and we walk every day to see horses. The book's simple drawings of horses (and cowboys) working and going about their day capitvates my daughter. It's suggested for kids around four, but it's a real hit with our toddler. I wish they had a Cowgirl Small, but that's just me.

My 3 yr. old son LOVES the Lois Lenski books, this being one of his (and my) favorites. We started reading it when he was just 2, and we have also read all the other cowboy books we can find. In my opinion, this is the one to get for a toddler. My son loves to ride around the house on his stick horse playing Cowboy Small. Timeless.

You can't go wrong with Cowboy Small. Even if your child isn't into being a cowboy, they will like this story. My 2 girls (now ages 22 and nearly 13) both LOVED Cowboy Small! I read it over and over and over and over...we had it on permanent checkout from the library it seems!! Then the library gave it to us when they were clearing out worn books...we were thrilled and treasured this book! I read this book so much I can still recite most of it. My son is 7 and he likes to play cowboy and he likes his reissue copy of Cowboy Small, but it is interesting that my girls asked for it to be read to them much more often. Our children's bouncy horse even got named Cactus in honor of Cowboy Small's horse. I recently gave this book to a 60+ yr. old friend who has horses and dresses in cowboy clothes, and he loved it! He has it displayed on a shelf in his livingroom and reads it to his grandchildren when they visit. I repeat: you just cannot go wrong with Cowboy Small. It has a simple but great story, nice pictures, and is a whole lot of fun. So glad it is available for today's children.

This is a great book, very light hearted and catchy. Be prepared to keep it handy, it's one of those books you will read it to your child, niece, nephew.... over and over again.

Invitation Only
By: Kate Brian

Reed has entered the high-classed, lip-glossed world of the Billings. All of her fairytales are just beginning, but when her boyfriend disappers everything seems to crumble. Will she be strong enough to survive? Could the disappearance of her boyfriend Thomas Pearson be her down fall in the Billings?
Reed is a normal teen who is just beginning her sophisticated life in Billings. Reed's drive and compassion for Thomas makes her investigate farther into his disappearance. But not everybody at Easton is looking for answers to his disappearance. Could they be hiding something? Her search will eventually lead her into another guy's arms over the lonely Thanksgiving Break, but he could be hiding some skeletons in his closet.
I loved this book because while Reed was on her journey for the truth I felt like I was right beside her. It was fascinating and kept me on the edge of my seat. It is a fast pace read with tiny cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. This is a book for people who like to be captured into an alternate reality of someone else's life. Will you join Reed on her journey for the truth?

By: Kim G.

Reed Brennan is now a Billings Girl. She goes to parties and is looked up to and envied by most students on campus. Yet things still aren't perfect. One of the other Billings Girls takes pictures of her at a party with a boy that could easily get her expelled. Then they use it to black mail. To make it all worse, her boyfriend, Thomas, is still missing. No one knows where he is but they do know where he'll be at on Halloween - The Legacy. It's an exclusive party that only the most important legacies are able to attend. Unless you can go as someone's plus-one. Which is what Reed plans to do. Of course, not everyone can take a plus-one and the one person willing to take Reed is the one person she doesn't want to go with. But if Thomas will be there, Reed's willing to do anything possible to be there.


Invitation Only, the second book in the Private series by Kate Brian, is an amazing read. I didn't want to put it down once I started. It was full of drama, some action, and gave you an inside look at the life of private schools. The characters were easy to relate to and they make you wonder what's going to happen next, especially the Billings Girls. The ending was surprising but good. I think the first chapter of the next book should have been the last chapter though. I really enjoyed this and can't wait to get my hands on the third book. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys drama, romance, and the crazy life of rich private school students.

Reed Brennan has become something of a celebrity now that she's a Billings girl. She has won the admiration, awe, scorn and jealousy of everyone at the Easton Academy. But they have no idea how things are really like for her at the famous dorm. After all, they don't know that Reed is the servant girl at Billings; making the beds, serving breakfast and doing all sorts of humiliating chores for the fabulous four -- Noelle, Arianna, Kiran and Taylor. It doesn't matter. She'll do whatever it takes to be accepted. Being a Billings girl is a privilege, not a right, especially for a girl with a humble background like her. But things become complicated when Natasha, her new roommate, takes some incriminating photos of her with resident eighteen-year-old hottie Walt Whittaker, and threatens to send them to the dean. The catch? Reed has to snoop around and find proof that the fabulous four were responsible for the removal of Natasha's former roommate. With her position as the dorm's Cinderella, it shouldn't be so hard to search for this evidence, should it? In her search, Reed discovers secrets about her new "friends" that she wishes she'd never known. As if that weren't bad enough, her boyfriend Thomas is still missing. Her only shot of meeting face to face with Thomas is to get an invitation to the Legacy -- an exclusive party that only a selected few get invited. In order to attend the exclusive party, Reed has to become Whittaker's "plus one," which means she has to go out with him, to the dismay of her former roommate Constance, who has a major crush on Whittaker. Will Cinderella make it to the ball with her dignity ever so slightly intact? And will her Prince Charming be there, waiting to whisk her away from all the madness? After all, if she finds the evidence Natasha is looking for, she'll have to rat out her friends, or she'll be out of Easton faster than you can say "busted." Sigh. So much drama. It appears that being a Billings girl isn't as easy or as glamorous as Reed had thought.

This is a great follow-up to the very riveting Private. We get a sense of who the Billings girls are and how far they go just to amuse themselves at someone else's expense. Yet there is also a part of them -- a more human, generous part -- that makes them the most unique, intriguing girls at Easton Academy. The girls are rich, beautiful and have the world kissing their feet, but they also hold a mystique that overrides all of that stuff. I like the way Brian is handling that part of the story. These aren't the typical rich and spoiled boarding school teens that are so common in YA books these days. They truly are an enigma, and it shows throughout the pages of the book. Reed is still somewhat annoying in her desperate quest to fit into their social circle, but it is understandable. She, after all, has never been accepted anywhere before, and getting the attention of the most fascinating girls she's ever set her eyes on, not to mention the admiration of some rather hot guys, would cause any teenage girl to drool in the same way. She has two new love interests in this installment -- Whittaker and Thomas's roommate Josh. I love Josh; dislike Whittaker, who comes across as one of those rich, spoiled high-class twits. Very one-dimensional, and he's meant to be that way, from the looks of things. There is a big twist at the very last chapter, one that leaves me wanting to find out what happens next. I can't wait to pick up Untouchable. In the meantime, I cannot recommend Invitation Only enough. I take away one star because I was able to figure out what was going on with the whole blackmail thing by the time the story gets around to it, but it's still a brilliant read. This series is proving to be very addicting.

This was really good!
i couldnt wait to find out what had happened to reed!!!
lol :]

This was an excellent book. I loved it so much... somehow I can understand what Reed is going through. I liked how there are new characters, and how the abrupt ending leaves me wanting more. I can't wait to read Untouchable!

I paid for expedited shipping of this book and received it two days earlier than I expected. The book was in perfect condition. I definitely recommend this seller!

If you are looking for a book with a little bit of insight into the creation of the Corpse Bride film, this is good choice. Nice selection of production pictures and concept artwork with a good description of the processes involved.

The book covers puppet making, music creation and a small scale time line of concept to film.

TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE: AN INVITATION TO THE WEDDING is the lush movie book accompaniment to tie into the release of TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE, and includes a foreword by Burton, details on his film, storyboards, his drawings, and more. It arrived too late for more timely holiday mention but the movie is certain to be a hit for many months and any viewer or would-be viewer will continue to find TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE an excellent guide to the movie.

I bought this book several months ago in a local bookstore. The photos and images in the book attracted my attention almost immediately, although at that time I've only heard of the film but haven't watched it. Like other behind-the-scenes books, it shows how they produced the film in every detail, from beginning to end. I especially like the concept sketches and the black humor. The production process also provides a good reference to the making of stop-motion animation, which makes this book unique. If you like the the film or stop-motion animation, I believe this book won't disappoint you.

I am a student of the great art of stop-motion-animation. For those interested in this pioneering addition to the art form or just interested in what it takes to write plan and pull off a feature length animation this is a great book. Lots of colot photos, concept sketches and digital concept art as well as the writing itself tells a lot about what it took to pull it all together. Well worth it to own as a reference and the coffee table.