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

A
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule
Published in Paperback by Da Capo Press (2006-10-16)
Authors: Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero
List price: $15.95
New price: $8.20
Used price: $7.85

Average review score:

WOW~!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-18
I came across this book by accident and was skeptical at first. After searching around on the web, I found a recipe for vegan chocolate cupcakes from this book at Chow.com. I tried it, and was instantly hooked! If you are unsure about the recipes like I was, try the chocolate cupcake recipe first :) You won't be dissappointed!

The cupcakes were moist, delicious, and so simple to make. I believe they're almost fool proof and way better than the cupcakes I previously made from scratch the old way. Everyone that has tried this cupcake has raved about how delicious it is! Of course, these will not end up tasting like your box mix cupcakes, but they will surely be a LOT healtier for you!

I can wait to try every single recipe in this book!! I'm so happy with the results!

Enjoyable book for bakers
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-02
From the organizer of the first and second annual Santa Barbara vegan bake off:

I like to try lots of different baking books--vegan and non-vegan alike.

I was sitting down tonight with my King Arthur Baker's Companion (amazing but each recipe has at least a stick of butter in it) and even leafed through How it All Vegan (their choc chip recipe is pretty good) before I remembered I had picked up this little book. The book is well written and fun to look through. Perfect for those nights when you just want to make something fun after dinner without having to prepare with a ton of ingredients in advance.

I chose a red velvet cupcake recipe and a vegan cream cheese frosting.

What can I say, my boyfriend has already eaten half the batch so I must say it was a success!

Great for Dairy and Egg Allergy
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-30
My daughter has an egg and dairy allergy. It finally dawned on me to look at vegan recipes to find a way to make an edible dessert for her. These cupcakes are very easy and taste wonderful. You would never know there is no egg or dairy. I have tried the vanilla, chocolate, and peanut butter ones. The peanut butter cupcakes were the best ones I have ever had, vegan or not. I highly recommend this book.

"...As good as it gets!"
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-02
I am not a vegan, and am not easily excited about vegan baked goods. However I do have a best friend who is a committed vegan and who very much is excited by vegan baked goods. When I purchased this book for her as a birthday gift, she was beyond thrilled. I guess she had another vegan cookbook by this same author, and had already fallen in love with her recipes. (Who knew?)
She later made chocolate-strawberry-something cupcakes from this book, and when I tasted them, they really weren't half bad. If you didn't really think about it, you almost couldn't tell that they were vegan. If all vegan baked goods tasted like these cupcakes, maybe vegan cupcakes really could take over the world.
As she told me, "This book is as good as it gets!"

A little disappointing
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-21
It's a lovely book and will be a useful guide in getting the dairy out of baked goods, but I have to say I'm a bit stunned that a vegan cookbook is so full of white flour and white sugar. There are just so many healthier sweeteners and flours to use that I can't imagine why the recipes weren't developed to be really healthy instead of simply dairy free.

A
Animorphs: The Invasion
Published in Paperback by Scholastic (1999-09-17)
Author: Katherine Applegate
List price:
Used price: $2.37

Average review score:

Whoa, this author really knows how to write
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-17
Ten years ago while these books were being written, I was focusing on reading horror novels like Stephen King's Desperation. I saw a few Animorphs books lying around one day and thought to myself "Oh, how cute. Someone at our high school reads children's books." Then last Saturday I had some time to kill and was in the library. I saw the books again and said "Eh, why not." My first reaction was: whoa, this author really knows how to write. This book doesnt have any of the boring scenes that too many adventure story authors don't know how to get rid of.

I realized I needed to go somewhere private to allow the visual imagery of the books to really come at me full-force. So I took out four books, went home, and read them in one sitting. I'm amazed. I've never experienced "can't put it down" before. I've been going back every day I have free time to read more of the books. And even when I'm out doing other things I keep replaying the scenes in my head. I wish I'd picked up these books ten years ago.

Got me hooked
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-11
My twin brother received this book of the series for our twelth birthday, whilst I received the second. Good gamble on my mother, for I was the one of the set that became hooked on the series. This was a marvelous introduction to a mostly stellar series."The Invasion" introduces five kids from various walks of life who may or may not be close to each other. An incident near the mall involving a UFO thrusts the kids into a done-but-still-fun adventure as they are given the ability to change into animals and fight body-snatching aliens. Good ol' fashioned sci-fi fun with a pleasant tween, modern twist. These early books had the best writing of the series, and K. A. Applegate carefully put in her original characters to mold them into the more developed characters they would become. "The Invasion" was the perfect introduction, with relationships, heartache, and good ol' alien slaughtering.

One of My Favorite Series of All Time
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-14
My brother first picked this book up some 10 years ago, when he was of the age at which cool book covers mattered more than content. Intrigued, I remember taking it from him in the car on the way home and reading the first chapter.
Bad idea.
There ensued a week of Civil War in our household, both of us battling over this book and stooping so low as to creep into each other's rooms at night, steal it off the nigh-stand, and read it under the sheets with a flashlight. Violence was resorted to a number of times, until my enraged mother demanded that we each get a SEPARATE copy of the second book in the series. I think she was hoping it was a trilogy.
This thing goes on for about 65 books. Sorry, Mommy.
I am now 22 years old and still consider Animorphs to be one of the best and most intelligent series I have ever read. Yes, it does get a bit systematic and repetitive after about Number 12, but the first 10 are incredible and the various "Chronicles" associated with the series--the Ellimist, Hork Bajir, and Visser--are absolutely fantastic. If you want a series that somehow weaves science, romance, fantasy, religion, psychology, and a hell of a lot more into one of the most imaginative universes available in print, then pick this up. Who cares if the covers are dorky? Just make sure you NEVER attempt to share it....

Excellent story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-25
Five kids meet a good alien. He fights against bad aliens to save the Earth. And he gives them a special power to fight against invaders. The power can change them into animals. But does this power help them to fight against bad invaders?
I finished to read Animorphs book 1. This is a very fun book. It is no wonder that many my friends like this series. I almost couldn't stop reading it. But this book is little fat for one day reading for me. This book has 34,028 words. I took three days for finishing it.
This series has 54 books and the whole story had completed. The average word counts is about 30,000 words. This means you must read about 1.5 million words for complete this series. And some of my friends already completed it. Now I can see why they could continue to read this series. If you finished one book then you can not wait next.

very good book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-21
Animorphs #1 the Invasion is a really, really great book. Now i'm reading all of the other books in the series. I'm on the third book,"The Encounter". Or at least I think that is what it is called. I even watch the show. I read this book about a year or two ago. Anyway, if you don't own this book, buy it and read it. If you do have this book and you haven't read it yet, then what are you waiting for? Start reading it right now. This is in my top 5 favorite books.

A
The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread
Published in Hardcover by Ten Speed Press (2001-12)
Author: Peter Reinhart
List price: $35.00
New price: $23.06
Used price: $22.88
Collectible price: $35.00

Average review score:

Review for The Bread Baker's Apprentice
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-23
This is another great book to have if you want to make bread! Once you start reading you can't put this book down. The breads bake up so wonderfully. I highly recomend this book.

Required reading for a begninner baker
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-20
Reinhart demystifies the creation of bread in this book. This is more than a cookbook - it includes his personal philosophy, a LOT of background info and then detailed recipes.

I skimmed through the section on his evolution as a baker, simply out of personal interest (or lack thereof). The Background / Basic chapters are especially valuable to people, such as myself, who are new to baking bread.

The Recipes are detailed with lots of useful instructions and ideas to improvise. Would reccommend this book for anyone with an interest in baking, regardless of level of experience. Attractive and informative.

THE BREAD BAKERS BIBLE
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-09
I am overwhelmed by this book. It's every bread entusiasts must have book.
Peter Reinhart shares every ounce of knowledge he has encompassed over his career so far with us, the reader.
This book is easy to read and the recipes are easy to follow.From the start the author gives us the history of bread in the world and what flavours and techniques they use.
I would recommend this book to everyone.

Great book for the serious home bread baker
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-05
I'm a relatively new home bread baker and this is the first bread baking book that I purchased. I reviewed and tried several books from our local library before deciding to purchase this one.

I particularly like the Pain a l'Ancienne recipe and the technique for retarding fermentation. This makes an excellent bread relatively easily and efficiently.

There's a good introductory section before you get to the recipes. Lots of great pictures showing the finished bread and techniques.

I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in serious home bread baking.

Speaking as someone that has actually read this book...
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-10
I was nearly put off of buying this book by some of the bad reviews I read. (I always read the bad reviews to get a broad picture.) If I hadn't taken the time to check the book out for myself I would have greatly missed out. Please read the following comments that discuss some of the negatives brought out by others and my opinions on the subject.

(This first part was before I read the book.)
I found some of his comments (the reviewr who gave the book a 1) to be interesting and some to be just plain nit picky. If you really want to get an idea of what Nopasho thinks is a good book, check out the reviews on the two books he recommended. It makes me wonder what his standards really are?!?

That being said, I am interested in improving my technique and making better bread. I'd imagine that the best way to do that is to study with a baker. However, since that isn't an option for me, I think I'll try the book and get what I can out of it. If it doesn't work, I'll sell it and try another one.

UPDATE:
I got the book from my local library and I must admit that I am VERY impressed. I have been so captivated by this book that it has been hard to put it down. I almost passed it by because of the bad review and I was utterly disgusted to find that a majority of the complaints listed were r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s!
1- Using crisco in pizza dough - first of all he lists OLIVE OIL, vegetable oil, OR crisco and repeatedly says "olive oil" when describing how to make the dough. The one point Reinhart stresses again and again is that he is trying to make good bread making ACCESSABLE to the home baker. "If you don't have this, you can try this..." type of attitude. He states time and time again that you should try different things to see what YOU like.
2- The problem between weight and volume measurements would be quickly cleared up if people had actually read the discussion on the subject in the book. As Reinhart states weight measurement is always best because volume will vary by the location, brand, etc. So it makes perfect sense that what 1 lb turns out to be in cups would not be the same somewhere else. AS HE CLEARLY STATES, bread is about feeling what is happening, not being exact. If it needs more flour add more flour, etc.
3- Ego - I can't tell you how many times he states what he has learned from others. I never got the feeling of being talked down to or like he has an overinflated image of himself.
4- Instant yeast - As I stated, Reinhart is trying to bring bread making into the home. Given the short shelf life of fresh yeast, I agree with Reinhart that for the majority of us, it just isn't practical. But if you can use the fresh yeast than go ahead!
5- Reinhart doesn't say that he wanted to make the book's title "The Bread Revolution," rather that it was a name he toyed with but decided against because he didn't feel it acurately described what he wanted to get across to people. Doesn't sound like ego to me.
6- Lastly, I don't feel like I was shorted out of recipes by the "white space" and pictures. I found it to be a beautiful book and one I am excited to own.
This is a book I borrowed from the library to test it out. I plan to take it back today and buy a copy. If that doesn't explicitly give my opinion, than nothing will.

A
Learning to Sing
Published in Audio CD by Random House Audio (2004-11)
Author: Clay Aiken
List price: $21.95
New price: $9.99
Used price: $7.00

Average review score:

Inspirational
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-14
When I read this book I laughed, I cried, and reflected to my own experiences. Clay Aiken has so much wit and is a wonderful story teller.
I would recommend this book for anyone but especially kids that get picked on at school, as Clay was. His childhood was filled with pain but he chose to rise above it all. From his biological father to his step-father,
he had always gotten the short end of the stick and wondered what it would take to be loved. Wonderful, inspirational reading.

Revealing Story
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-14
I recently finished his book in just a few hours. Excellent! The book reveals his life as a child, facts about his biological dad and his step dad, and his lovely mother. Many chapters actually moved me to tears. This man is humble, extremely talented and gifted.
A definite Must Read! You will enjoy the trip down memory lane with Clay.

Incredible and Inspiring!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-11
This book is truly a masterpiece! I read this book because I am a Clay Aiken fan, and I thought, 'Hey, a book by Clay Aiken, this should be cool.' I would recommend this book for anyone! Even if you aren't a fan of Clay, this is still an inspiring book. Let's just say: I laughed, I cried, it moved me!" I'm ordering the book and the audio cds. This is one of those books that you read front to back, then open it right back up and read it again!

I admire him sooo much
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-18
Clay Aiken is one of the few celebrities I look up to. He has devoted fans because people see him as a friend or a brother. He is a very kind, humorous, and generous man. I am glad I read this book.

A great book!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-03
I don't really like to write reviews, but I couldn't resist this one. Let me just start by saying I wasn't a fan of Clay when he was on Idol. I guess I was a bit young to really appreciate his talent. Well I've rediscovered him and have become a HUGE FAN. I can call myself a claymate.

Anyway, this book is great. I finished it in a day. I couldn't put the book down, not even for a minute. From the very beginning Clay opened himself up and showed that he's vulnerable. He says that he wants people to realize what you see is what you get when it pertains to him. You can't help but cry when things are rough, and smile when he sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

This may be a spoiler, but one of the many things that really stood out for me was when he was talking about his stepdad. When his stepdad died, you can tell at that time, Clay felt incomplete, not knowing whether he was loved by him or not. Then he remembered a story his mom told him; his mom said, a friend of his dad had visited him and he was talking about his brother Brett and how he knew he would turn out to be a great man. Then his stepdad said, "my other son is going to be a famous singer one day because he has the most beautiful voice."

That part of the book really touched me bc I felt like he got his closure and he knows his stepdad really loved him.

Anyway, I don't mean to go on and on, but this is a great book and is a page turner. You can't help but love Clay more and I'm sure people who read this book can relate to him in so many levels.

A
Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy
Published in Hardcover by Orchard Books (2007-10-15)
Author: Matthew Reinhart
List price: $34.99
New price: $20.99
Used price: $19.95
Collectible price: $32.99

Average review score:

Great Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-08
I sent this to my 17 year old grandson and he was blown away with the work done on this book. Fascinating.

fun book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-31
This book came wrapped in cellophane, so I did not preview it before mailing to my grandson. But he was very excited and said he LOVED it!

very nicely put together
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-17
This book is full of surprise fold-outs and visually pleasing pictures. My 4-yr-old needs supervision to prevent damage to the book and to help him find all of the fold-outs

A Pop-Up joy for my son!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-29
I just write to say that my son is four years old and he is already a very big Star Wars fan and that he just love this book. That book covers about everything for episodes 4-5-6. The pop-ups are very imaginatives and ingenious but I would recommend not to let you kid manipulate it especially if he or she is as young as my son. Some of the pop-ups are so complex that even I have to be carefull when I unfold them.

The last pop-up has definetly a very nice touch to it with the two light-up caracters poping up (Luke and darth Vader). A must for every Star wars fan!

Amazing Book!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-28
Thanks to all the wonderful reviews, I ordered this book with confidence for my 7 year old son who is a total Star Wars fanatic. The first book I received was defective and only one of the light sabres lit up. Amazon was fantastic and shipped a replacement that I got the very next day. THANKS AMAZON!! Order this book for the Star Wars lover -- they will flip over it. My son cannot put it down. My suggestion is that if you order it for a gift, open it first to make sure the light sabres both work. I love ordering from Amazon because I know they will always make it right.

A
One Child
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Avon (1981-05-01)
Author: Torey L. Hayden
List price: $7.99
New price: $3.49
Used price: $0.95
Collectible price: $19.95

Average review score:

Very good book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-08
I was required to get this book for my special education training that I need for my master's. This book was very interesting. It showed the good and bad things Torey Hayden did in the course of serving this one child, Sheila. I could not put it down.

Quite The Tearjerker!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-17
This story gave me tears of sadness and tears of joy. While it is heartbreaking to learn of all the abuse Sheila has endured, it is
heartwarming to know that SOMEONE took the time and effort to encourage her and to reach out to her. This book is a wonderful testament to the power of love and the human spirit.

Excellent Book!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-08
I'm half-way through this book and I LOVE it so far!! I'm in school to become a teacher and we're reading this book. It has opened my eyes!!!

Very Emotional and Inspiring
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-14
My second book by Torey Hayden, but definitely not my last.

ONE CHILD is the story of Sheila, a young girl who was abandoned on the side of a highway by her mother. Now the charge of her drunken father, Sheila is wild, sometimes crazy, and never cries.

What follows after her arrival in Ms. Hayden's classroom (following an incident that is truly chilling) is the relationship that grows, in a short period of time, between Sheila and Torey.

A very good but emotional read. I highly recommend it, and also recommend picking up a copy of The Tiger's Child, which is the continuation of Sheila's story.

Touching and inspiring
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-17
At age six, Sheila had already endured a lifetime of horrors. Her mother abandoned her on a highway at age four; her alcoholic father neglected and traumatized her. Thus, it was scarcely a shock to anyone when the coarse, hate-filled child attacked a three-year-old boy, nearly burning him to death.

At such a tender age, Sheila's fate seemed inevitable - a lifetime in a psychiatric ward. Yet while the state awaited placement, they decided to put her in Hayden's special needs classroom.

Initially skeptical of a child with such a background, Hayden nonetheless did her best. Quickly, she glimpsed an intensely intelligent child, who longed for love and acceptance.

This wasn't to say it was an easy job. Nor was there any fairy-tale ending. Often, Sheila went into uncontrollable rages, damaging property, once even throttling pet gerbils when she perceived she had been wronged. Yet after glimpsing the inner Sheila, Torey Hayden refused to give up on her.

Then one day, several months after Sheila arrived in Hayden's classroom, the teacher received a call -- the psychiatric hospital was ready for Sheila. Despite having made a breakthrough with the child, would Sheila's life really be taken away before she had a chance to start it?

As always, Hayden's stories about the children with whom she has worked are deeply moving and memorable. By no means does she attempt to portray herself as a miracle worker; she freely admits her mistakes along with her triumphs as she merely dedicates her life to helping turn young lives around.

Readers interested in learning more about Sheila may be interested in the sequel, The Tiger's Child, which picks up when the girl is 13 and recently reunited with Hayden.

A
You Are Special
Published in Hardcover by ZZCCANDLE BOOKS (2005-02-01)
Author: Max Lucado
List price:
New price: $14.99
Used price: $6.00

Average review score:

great story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-24
I love this story and was planning on getting it for my daughter at some point- when I saw it as a board book I decided to get it right away! The book seems well made and has nice bold, vibrant illustrations. The only negative thing I noticed about it- and I noticed it right away when I received it- is the fact that it has pointy edges. Most board books are rounded at the corners. It's not a huge deal, but for young kids/babies who are clumsy and put everything in their mouths, it seems like a poor design.

Touching story, not just for children.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-20
Max Lucado has an touched a nerve with his delightful stories. This book reaches the heart of all of us.
We all want to know our worth. This beautifully written and illustrated story reminds us that we are all of infinite worth, in the eyes of our creator.

excellent product!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-21
LOVE this book - perfect gift for an adult or a child - beautiful pictures and wonderful, meaningful story.

Excellent!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-18
I work with children with Autism and have given this book to each of them once they do not need my services anymore. This book is a rare find! Excellent story and great pictures!

Excellent Message
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-16
This is an excellent message for children that they are special and not to place too much importance on what other people may think. My 2 and 3-year olds are captivated by the story.

A
The Lords of Discipline
Published in Unbound by Rosettabooks LLC (2001-08)
Author: Pat Conroy
List price:

Average review score:

Excellent Writing
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-19
I received this book as a gift and was reluctant to read it as the subject matter was not of interest. I started to read it just to see what it might be like and was captured by the outstanding writing. It was just a joy to read and the characters will stay with me forever.

Lords of Discipline
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-08
About half way thru this book and had to set it aside. I'll return to it later as it is a little too intense and the language is shocking.

I thought his books Beach Music and The Prince of Tides were much better. I could not put Beach Music down.

One of Conroy's Best
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-31
This is a great military/coming of age novel by Pat Conroy that I would put slightly behind The Great Santini (one of my favorite books of all time) in his catalogue. In this story, Conroy follows a young cadet at the fictional Carolina Military Institute (modeled partly on Conroy's time at The Citadel) as he endures his plebe year and then comes to grip with the fact that the school fosters a great deal of hate, racism and cruelty to accomplish its mission of developing the Complete Man. Conroy's writing always moves quickly with engaging dialogue, humor and entertaining story lines and this book is no exception. It is certainly deeper than your standard pop fiction book, but it reads just as easily and quickly. I would highly recommend it to Conroy fans, people who enjoy good fiction (even my mother likes this book) or people who have interest in military schools or the South in the 50's. A very good book.

spectacular
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-11
Gorgeously crafted, eloquent, beautiful, gripping, powerful. Simply an amazing book. All of Pat Conroy's books have common ties to his childhood, and this one is perhaps the best of them all.

Duty, Honor, Country
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-14
The mark of a successful coming of age story is that you, the reader, can see yourself reflected in the protagonist. For me, this book worked very well. Will McLean, the main character and first-person narrator, a second generation Irish boy, son of a Marine, a mongrel outsider in the pedigreed Carolina Military Institute searches for himself, the man within the boy who is being molded by a system of discipline and honor that doesn't match his internal morality. He's an English major in a college of warriors. He's a basketball player, a finesse guard, in a school of brute force. He's fighting against systems he doesn't understand within a life choiceless in it's inequality.

Pat Conroy, himself a graduate of the model for the fictional Institute, The Citadel, weaves a compelling tension-filled story while eloquent in his setting, Charleston, South Carolina. Employing gracious proper Southern dialect filled with flowers, antiques, and tradition, he describes brutality, racism, sexism, and betrayal. The language works well because it provides within its description the biting irony of the scenes. Will McLean fights through every taboo the South has to offer in the 1960's: a black cadet in the all-white tradition of the military college, an unwed pregnant girl shunned by society for her shame while the father of her baby remains blameless, the brutal plebe system that crushes individuality while remaking young men as soulless military automatons, the classed society of high south old money and it's cruelty to those not born within the circle, and the fact that military honor doesn't equate to individual morality.

Fighting through this maze of pitfalls, McLean has only his closest and dearest friends to rely on, roommates Dante "Pig" Pignetti and Mark Santoro, two brawny, Northern boys of Italian descent and Tradd St. Croix, an "old Charlestonian" (from a very rich and respected family). His moral guide through the story is the epitomy of hard military men, Colonel "Bear" Berrineau, a vulgar battle-scarred man whose character is unimpeachable and whose idea of duty includes awful repercussions.

I loved this story and I couldn't put it down. If I had one criticism to give, it's that Conroy tried to put too much into the novel - too many problems and taboos and tried to fix hundreds of years worth of problems in one book. But, that's not really a criticism because he did it and did it well. Bravo.

CV Rick

A
Bridge of Birds
Published in Hardcover by Legend (1986-11-13)
Author: Barry Hughart
List price:
Used price: $118.11

Average review score:

A Must
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-10
Anyone who is a fan of Terry Pratchett should look into the three Master Li and Number Ten Ox stories. Of which, Bridge of Birds is the best.

It's called Fantasy for a reason
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-31
I first read this book about 20 years ago. I read the two reviews that gave it only one star because I was curious why their reaction was so different from mine. After reading the two reviews, I believe I understand the problem.

It's called Fantasy for a reason.

It's not Literature, and it's not a History of ancient china.

Barry Hughart taught me that ancient wise men don't see themselves as "Ancient Wise Men". They see themselves as the little boys they once were (as do we all). They pass gas like the rest of us, sometimes they drink too much like the rest of us, and sometimes they are immoral like the rest of us.

Number Ten Ox may not have been the perfect foil for Kao Li, but he wasn't too far off the mark. His awe at Kao's "wisdom" (more often than not just common sense) and his willingness (and almost desire) to be proved to be less intelligent than Kao tells us a great deal about human nature.

By the end of the book I had reached the conclusion that there was little difference between Number Ten Ox and Kao Li, and that they, of all, knew that best. They each had their roles in a highly structured society and they played them to the hilt, trying their best to do good despite society's nonsense.

I loved this book 20 years ago and I love it still. I don't always want High Brow Literture. Sometimes I want a good, fun, frolic in the pool. The Number Ten Ox stories are the later.

amazing novel
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-06
This was an amazing fantasy novel. It's entertaining, hilarious, and heartwarming. The detail of ancient China, its traditions and beliefs are very vivid, and there are "feel good" parts to it that remind me of a Disney/Pixar movie (terrible analogy, I know, but that's what comes to me when I think of the feeling it gave me). The solutions that Li and Ox come up with to get themselves out of their various predicaments are clever in their conception and exciting in their execution, and I'm very interested in reading the next books in the series.

Exhilarating - The best book I've read this year
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-18
I've never read anything like Bridge of Birds, and I spent my first law school semester re-reading it in my spare time. With few exceptions, I never had any idea what was going to happen. I laughed like a loon during one of the murder scenes - I don't want to give away any more, but it was deliciously ironic - and was humbled by the intellect of the character who figured out the overarching mystery. The last few chapters were like a roller coaster. I felt like I was flying during the climax, and that alone would have prompted an eventual reread and reccommendation. I can't *not* reccommend Bridge of Birds to everyone, but I am aware that those who dislike complex storytelling would be totally confused before they got anywhere in the book. I will now go off in pursuit of modestly-priced copies of the other two Hughart novels...

A Recent Favorite Discovery
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-05
This novel of an 'Ancient China that Never Was' is a brilliant gem of interweaving storylines that made me both smile and cry. It was alternately silly and beautiful, so much so that I want to use overblown adjectives to describe it. Basically, it was about a man looking to find a cure for a disease affecting the children of his village, but it turns out to be so much more.

When first starting the novel, it seemed a simple quest novel, usual for the fantasy genre. As it went on, it seemed more like a series of connected short stories with the same characters with perhaps an overarching goal for the main character. Then it went on some more, and it began to quickly connect. Characters once met were met again, and again. They changed, told their stories, and moved on, leaving the book and the main character changed.

By the time the book was over, I just sat there crying yet smiling with happiness at having read it and at the gorgeous ending. If you are not sobbing at that time, or when one of the characters has his letter to his daughter read, you are a much stronger person than me. I turned this book over to my husband who upon finishing agreed that it was a shame that the author did not have a large list of books for us to dive into.

Someone who reviewed this said it was not an accurate representation of ancient China. It truly is no more accurate in describing ancient China than modern fantasy novels describing medieval life or the Dark Ages, but as you read it, you realize that's not what you're reading it for. The way it glosses over facts and grittiness makes it a stronger work.

A
Into the Land of the Unicorns
Published in Hardcover by Demco Media (1995-08)
Author: Bruce Coville
List price:

Average review score:

A delightful little treasure!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-22
I really enjoyed this book! I think I enjoyed it more the further into it I got because I began to realize the scope of the book. Also, because it's a series, I wasn't sure how much of the book would be self-contained vs. continuous.
I adored the way the "fantasy world" and how Coville described the various landscapes. Ditto for the creatures of the fantasy world! From both known fantastical creatures (like unicorns) to some new (at least, I've never heard of them before), delightful creatures! I felt as though each character had a distinct personality - even if it took me a little bit to figure them out. And I felt invested in them all, which is a good feat for the book being only 150 pages.
That's really my only reason for the 4 stars instead of 5. There's really nothing wrong with the book that I can find to warrant only 4 stars - but for me, I'm used to more in-depth books with great detail to the plots. This was the only thing I wanted more of; I felt there was enough plot and character back-story that the book could have been expanded and delved into further. Though, perhaps that wasn't the author's intent - or it wasn't the intent of this book since it's a series.
However, I would think this a great book to start out for younger readers. And it's a delightful treat for those of us who adore fantasy books to read between tomes!

This is an amazing book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-10
This is an amazing book it is number 2 in my top five favorite books. And I've read ALOT of books. This is an ideal book for ANYONE who LOVES unicorns, like me! If you get this book for some one be sure to get the second one to. Why? Becuse this one REALY gets you ready for the next one. When I finished it I had really wished that my teacher had the next one, but she didn't. I checked the school libray, but they didn't have it either! I haven't read the next one yet, but I am always keeping my eye out for it and now I've found it here! I hope you've liked my review
-an 11 year-old











Into the Land of the Unicorns
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-07
Into the Land of the Unicorns is a grate book for people at or abuve a fourth grade reading Levle. Thier is nothing boring about it. I liked it so mutch that after 10 mins after I got it I had like three chapters finished. It is one of the best books I have ever read. I think this book deserves more than a five star rating. You should defently read it.

Best
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-07
this book was written when i was born, and i love it! i love the unicorns and i am hoping to finish my own series called United Unicorns, i hope i can get it pubilshed

Fabulous story.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-09
My kids really enjoyed me reading a chapter from this book every night after their meditation time. I am about to start reading The Song of the Wanderer to them now that we have finished this book.


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