A Books

Was purchased due to a requirement by my childs school. He has informed me it is a good book.

... "On June 4, 1960, the Big Creek Missile Agency, fresh from its medal winning performance at the National Science Fair, is sponsoring a day of rocket launches at its Cape Coalwood range. Everyone reading these words is invited..." This quote can be found on page 356-357 of a book called Rocket Boys; this statement showed me that the success of the main characters was a result of personal hard work and teamwork.

"Rocket Boys" by Homer H. Hickam, Jr. is a nonfiction account of a group of friends from Coalwood, West Virginia in the early 1960's who have a fetish for making rockets. Homer and his friends have a dream to shoot a rocket up into the clouds. This story gives the reader a message that dreams really can come true.

Rocket Boys is one of the strongest books I have ever read. The author accomplished his goals to tell people that team work is one of the most important things to know in your life. This book is recommended for people that like space and rockets and who want a hopeful book to read. Reading Rocket Boys really gets you thinking about team work and how far you can get with it.

I was a little disappointed by the ending and the fact that Homer Hickam gave John Kennedy the idea to go to the Moon but other than that I couldn't help but root for the band of misfits.

I bought this book and the audio tapes and my son and I listened and read this amazing book together. Our plan was to read for 30 minutes a night...however it was sooooooo good we listened and read for 5 hours!

We are now going to rent the movie that was made from the film! All systems go....we enjoyed the adventure!

Homer Hickam grew up in a rural isolated mountain town but went on to win the National Science Fair.

This book is his story and how he was successful.

I bought 24 copies of this book to inspire my advanced 6th grade Reading class. They loved the book. In our discussions they mentioned never giving up. Homer and his friends kept trying until they had success.

Thank you for sharing your life with us, Mr. Hickam.

I first read this book when i was 15.and i absolutely loved it.
It showed me how truly graceful God is. living in the society that we do, Christian people don't show much forgiveness and grace. therefore, this was a breath of fresh air.
As for the 'explicit'ness, it really isn't as bad as it probably was back then. think of Rahab, Tamar, Bathsheba, and other girls that did sexual things. You can not possibly get the full effect of how difficult their lives were UNLESS you were standing right by them way back then. Therefore, Redeeming Love is ONLY a minor glimpse of the sadness and horror of the life of a prostitute. as for young readers, let the parents be the judge of that, my sister first read it when she was 13. She loved it too.

Anyways, this book Shows just how amazing god's grace is.
I first read the mark of the lion trilogy and fell in love with francine river's books. they are so amazing and cause peopl to think.
And for a christian book, yes this is different, but in such a way that it's real. unlike other christian novels in which the guy or girl always end up living happily ever after.
this book shows the strife involved.

i recommend this to all readers of ALL ages.
i say this earns a 9.

This book was recommended by a co-worker and I'm so glad I ordered it. It was a wonderful book - the title really says it all. I've already ordered more books by this author.

I will completely raw and honest as much as I can without giving too much of the story away. Let's just start with a little bit about myself. I am 26 years old, a full time wedding photographer ([...]), mom of three boys ages 3, 2 and 4 months, and in way over my head with work. For the past year and a half I have averaged about 3-6 hours of sleep per night because I am so overloaded with work, and during the day I am SO tired, and sad to say -irritated with everyone around me, even with my own children. I try so hard to please my clients and I feel like it's not good enough. I try to be a good mother and yet I feel like such a failure at it. I feel like there's no end to anything...hopeless. Reading this book CHANGED MY LIFE. I am a Christian. I love Jesus, I go to church and lead worship every Sunday, but after reading this book I realized how backslidden I was. I tried to handle everything in life by myself, not asking for help from anyone, and just sinking lower and lower everyday into depression. I have had a few nervous breakdowns these last couple of months and reading this book made a lightbulb go off in my head...more like a stadium light. I was playing God. I thought if only I could do 'this' things could get better; if only 'that' would get done things would get easier and I can relax. This book showed me that if you leave everything in God's hands, and pray about everything- big or small, that God will take care of it. Then all of our worries will go away as God takes care of us. I am so grateful that I found the time to read this book even in my BUSY schedule. I couldn't put it down. I finished almost all 500 pages of it in 4 nights! I am finding my next Francine Rivers book! God Bless!

I bought this book for something to do. It is hands down, the best book I have ever read in my life! I have loaned it out so many times I am not even sure where it is anymore. If you read this book, it will change your life. It's an amazing book.

I read this for my book group. It was widely recommended. All the members who had already read it said it was worth reading and rereading.

It's an excellent book. Full of adventure, despair, and joy.

I bought this book as a gift for my 16yr old niece. The very next day, she told me how much she loved the book. She even cried reading it. I think it's nice to find reading materials that can move the minds and feelings of teenagers.

I skimmed through the book before I gave it to my granddaughter who just turned 13. I thought it had some well written stories that a teenager can relate to and a lot of food for thought. She was so happy to get it, since she had the one for pre-teens also and really liked it.

Once again, "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books has a hit. This is a wonderful gift for young teens with its easy read of short stories on pertinent topics and experiences teens face. Teens I have given it to as a gift have loved it and purchased the next in the teen series. Also a source of good talking points for those anxiety ridden moments or social issues teens face.

I am a teacher in two high schools and I like to read the stories of the book to my students from time to time to inspirate them and reinforce their teenage self esteem! I suggest it to all teacher to make the same with a nice calm background music.

I recomend that you read this book because its stories are touching, sad, heart warming, and pretty much every other emotion you can feel. You can learn a lot about different in life, and how people got through them. :p
zoe r.
lanier ms

What a story! What a writer! I could not put this book down. Colin Channer is a talent. I cannot wait to read his next adventure.

The book was well written, great humor and very relatable for anyone who has ever been in love or would like to be. The only thing is that the cover does not give the book any justice. At first glance you would think its one of those trashy romance novels, however its about more than romance, its about true love and the romance behind it.

This novel was a soulful journey. It connects with the reality of relationships and with all of its struggles and triumph. I was drawn into the characters from the opening page. He tells this tale with a poetic spin. His words unfold beautifully and each character takes on a life of its own. I think readers will find a little bit of themselves in this book. I loved it!

This book is a beautiful experience. It is one of the most passionate and real books that I have ever read. I couldn't put it down and I wish that it was longer. The emotions of the characters are so strong that they leap off of the page. This book makes you want to go out and fall in love and hope that you experience half the passion and true love that these characters experience.

Colin Channer to me is like a modern day Picasso with a pen. His dialogue is compelling, soul-stirring and purposeful and his characters are engaging. You can almost close your eyes and imagine yourself seeing the story unfold as if you were a fly on the wall at a gallery in New York, a beach house in Jamaica, or the Streets of London. This is the mark of a truly great storyteller.

Our main character, Fire, is a "simple" man with a "complex" life. By simple I mean he wants what any sane person would want, a circle of good life-long friends, a fulfilling life, and someone emotionally and physically available to share it all with. So, when he meets Sylvia, he feels like he has found the one. What he doesn't know is that Sylvia, an engaged magazine editor, is all but disengaged from her own true desires for her life. Soon we see that complications abound, and the journey they take throughout the story takes the reader on a cross-continental journey in search of introspection, true meaning and, possibly, true love.

An interesting point is that Channer's characters are written from their souls - what drives them to do the things they do is less about their gender than their emotions and their pasts. With such a multi-faceted story, several layers of conflict, we still get a crystal clear picture and understanding as to why things unfold teh way they do. It is a believable, gripping, page turner, and Channer conveys it effortlessly.

Waiting in Vain, simply put, was one of the two best books I have read in a long time. The other was Satisfy My Soul (also by Colin Channer). As an aspiring writer, I wish my prose was as naturally beautiful as Mr. Channer's. Until it is, I will keep devouring his work in hopes that some of his literary poeticism rubs off.

This book helped open my eyes to what children go through in Foster Care. It helped me to relize that you can't judge a book by its cover. That the struggle for acceptance,love acknowledgement or to be recognized can consume & overwhelm a child...to even the point of doing something you know in you heart is wrong. This book makes me want to work hard, so I can buy a big house, Just so I can provide enough love and support and room for not only my three children, but for those children in need of a place to call home & to know that they have someone who care about them.

This is a story about a young boy who gets abused and treated unfairly. He doesn't have any clothes besides the ones he caries in a brown paper bag. He runs away from the world he hates. He has no home to go to, then he finds hope. To find out more information about this book find it and venture into it.

In my opinion this book was excellent and amazing.Why? Because it made me cry on the first page, some parts I felt like going in the book, because the suspense never ends. I would recommend it to those who love to read soppy, exciting books that are true.

This book, along with another came in on time and for a great price. I Love this book.. I am now waiting to read the two books left that tells the rest of Dave's Story. There are 4 all together!

This book will open your eyes to child abuse. You will forever remember and reflect on what you have read. We all have a need to be loved.

this is a good book! i love it when dave sees that kid and the kid says what you call my sister? then dave says a horror? then the kid punches dave, makes his nose bleed, and says don't you ever, ever, call my sister a whore again! read it if you liek dave pelzer as much as me!

I was a pack a day smoker for 20 years, compulsively it was probably the most important thing to my sanity. I use to quit every other month and make everyone nuts, until Carl's book helped me break the brainwashing. Just remember you can never convince yourself to have just one. Non smokers don't occasionally pick up a smoke for any reason.

I am so happy for all of the people who read this book and find success. I knew that quitting smoking was not going to be easy, but after reading this book and other reviews, I thought I wouldn't have much problem handling it. I have been reading it again. This is NOT easy (for me). I think his book is wonderful because he understands the addiction and is not preachy, he's like a supportive friend. I will say he has given me a new perspective, and I think that many people can benefit from this but do not go into it thinking it's not going to take some work.

I have been a 2 1/2 pack a day smoker and have smoked for over 40 years. My son gave me this book and I was quite suspicious of another "easy method to quit smoking". However, it has now been a month without a cigarette or even much of a desire for one. Whenever I feel the least urge to smoke, I just thank God for taking that feeling away from me and immediately I am grateful that I am a non-smoker. Who would have thought??? If you have been unsuccessful in the past or have the least ambition to stop smoking, please read this book. I think you will be happy that you did! I AM SO DELIGHTED TO BE A NON-SMOKER...

I tried many methods to stop smoking--cutting down, nicotine replacement, hypnotism, an on-line stop smoking program, and several convolutions and combinations of my own device. Nothing worked until this book. And even with the book--the first time I read it, I quit just for a day, and then was right back to smoking! But, I knew the book was right, and a couple of weeks later, I got back with it (didn't even have to re-read the book), and quit for good. I had forgotten how good it feels to NOT smoke. Each breath of air refreshes me, I am much more active, I don't stink, my teeth and mouth are clean, and my woman is all over me.

So--what's in the book?

You get a convincing rebuttal of every reason you can think of to smoke a cigarette--even one more cigarette.

You come to understand the subtle but powerful brainwashing that is associated with nicotine addiction.

You get a good deal of information on the nature of nicotine addiction, why nicotine replacement therapy (gums and patches) are so ineffective, and why the physical addiction is not nearly so hard to overcome as the psychological addiction (the triggers that make you want to smoke). And you get a lot of help in dealing with those triggers.

It's still not easy to quit; for me, dealing with my "triggers" was quite a job, and there were many times in my workday when I would get stressed by a work conundrum and want to reach for a smoke, as I had been doing for years. But I learned to deal with it, and am a better person for it. This book has helped me beyond stopping smoking. It has helped me to deal with stress in general.

This book is a life-changer. Best money I have invested on anything in my lifetime.

I used to smoke a pack a day for 10 years. I tried using every single method available before this book to quit smoking. It has been a month since I finished this book and I haven't had a single craving for a cigarette!! Allen Carr is completely right when he says that life will be more enjoyable once you quit. I still enjoy all the activities I used to (eating, smoking....etc) without the need for a smoke.

I am no longer counting my cigarettes to see if I have enough for the night. I do not have the feeling of fear that used to course through me when I was out of cigarettes. It is true that cigarettes really do control you and I am glad to say that I am FREE!!

I personally know 14 people in my life who have successfully quit by reading this book. I don't know 14 people who have quit smoking using all combined available methods. That speaks volumes about this book's ability to truly cleanse your mind of the brainwashing and free your body from the disgusting poisons that we used to pollute them with.

THANK YOU ALLEN!!!

I bought this book for one of my children for a summer reading project. I needed a specific version and was glad I could search Amazon by ISBN. The book arrived quickly and the price was reasonable. I'm sure other family members will enjoy the book when the projcet is complete.

except for the Bible, this is the best.
It is the full and undiluted version from the first english translation.
read it, learn it,live it.
j

Although the story is well known to me, the editing of this audio book was so confusing. I absolutely could not follow it. Too much is cut out.

Story has good twists, but there are too many French places and people which makes the audio confusing.

The book is excelent reading but please get a different version.
This version only has 580 or so pages where as other versions have over 1,300 pages. That means that this version is only half the story.
So much gets lost in translation already don't cheat yourself even more.

Count me among the many people who completely loved this book. Even at nearly 1,000 pages, I didn't want it to end. To say it's about a bunch of cattlemen making a drive from the Texas-Mexico border all the way up into Montana hardly makes it sound exciting. To say it's a romance between a cowboy and a reformed whore makes it sound more melodramatic than it is. But to say it's about the American spirit in the 19th century, or pointless ambition, or blind allegiance to an outdated code, or aging heroes, or the disappearing wilderness--and it's about all of those things--makes it sound too grand and high-minded. The charm of McMurtry's writing lies in its simplicity. It's about a lot of things. Mostly cowboys.

The Old West, as portrayed by Hollywood and popular fiction is said to be in large part a myth. High-noon duals, standoffs between train robbers and sheriffs, and gunfights between cowboys and Indians are more legend than history. LONESOME DOVE has to be considered among the canon of the old west, as one of the archetypal books of the genre. It is a story full of stock western players--the heroic Texas rangers, the sheriff, the whore, the cattle rustlers, the Indians, the wide-eyed cow hand. But in the end, the characterization of these players flies in the face of everything we'd expect of them. They are each flawed in their own way, and none completely lives up to our expectations of what he should be. They're decidedly not stock characters. They're real. They surprise us at every turn with their actions and inactions. And while it's tempting to call this the quintessential western, it's more a deconstruction of the western. A reality check. It's more about romance than gun fights. The conflicts are internal. And it's more about character than characters. That's the greatest strength of LONESOME DOVE. McMurtry makes you fall in love with the cowboys, then breaks your heart twice--once at their fates, and once when the book comes to an end.

Taking it as a given that you have little or no interest in the old west or cowboys, in general, or in cattle drives, specifically, you should still read Lonesome Dove. The character development, of Gus and Call, especially, and the evoking of a time and place very remote from the present are absolutely remarkable and you'll be glad that you didn't miss it ... a very, very good book - truly excellent literature!

And, as in so many cases, in case you saw it and drew a conclusion ... the TV version couldn't begin to do justice to the book.

I first picked up my copy of Lonesome Dove at a bookstore when I was around 18 years old. I think I bought it not because I was actually interested in westerns, but because it had won a Pulitzer, therefore my reading it would make me seem smart or something. When I started reading it before, I couldn't get into it, and I ended up putting it down. Six years later, I decided to give it another try and am I ever glad I did! I've noticed, as I grow older, that my favorite books tend to be historical sagas: Gone with the Wind, The Mists of Avalon, The Count of Monte Cristo, etc., and now I can add Lonesome Dove to my list of "best books I've ever read." The story of Woodrow Call and his best friend and fellow former Texas Ranger, Augustus McCrae, is honestly one of the most moving I've ever read, and that doesn't even include the other characters which are also wonderfully written! I've recently found a new fascination with the American West, especially after seeing all of those great "western" films that came out in 2007--No Country for Old Men, There Will be Blood, The Assassination of Jesse James--and from finally visiting that old legendary frontier, Montana. There is something crudely romantic about the Old West, despite all of the danger. Lonesome Dove is the pinnacle of what I imagined the West to be like. Brilliant book, I would recommend this to anyone who likes to read.

the lives of retired rangers their story, on a journey on the trip to montana, the lost of one of them. and story of the other taking him home.

The best novel I've ever read! You'll fall in love with the characters to the point in which road trips out west will never be the same.

My sister was insistant that I read this book, but I really wasn't interested...I had seen the movie and ofcourse I loved it, but my reading interests were somewhere else. However, after being told how wonderful it was I finally gave it a shot...Can I say, LOVED IT!!!! I was angry, sad, happy and totally in love with the Phantom...I loved this book so much that I was searching for it and I really didn't care that I spent $40.00. If you are a person who believes in impossible love this is a must read...

This is one of the best written, engaging novels I have ever read. I took on the task of reading it to a grade 8 Humanities class, and although it took me a full 10 months to read to my class, they were absolutely enraptured with it! A 13 year old male student asked where he could purchase his own copy (and if you know 13 year old boys, that's saying something!). I highly recommend this book, you won't be able to put it down.

I'm not going to bother writing a long review about this book; other reviewers have done an eloquent job. I just want to say that this book gives an extremely plausible explanation about the 49 years (give or take) leading up to the last year of Erik's life as depicted in the classic tale. Kay does a good job of clearing up the mysteries to which Leroux alludes. I found this an extremely satisfying story, where Erik, in all of his maniacal glory is still, in the end, a sympathetic character. This is most definitely a book that all lovers of the original story should read.

The story is beautifully told to weave itself through the movie and beyond. It begins with the heartbreaking birth of the Phantom (Erik) and follows it through. It is so true to the characters in the movie version, keeping them all as you loved them. No distortions. If you love the movie, Phantom of the Opera, you will love this book!

This is definitely a must-read for any Phantom fan! There are truly no words to explain the beauty and the humanity that this character possesses in this book. It made me cry, it made me laugh, it made me gasp in horror and tremble with anticipation. Susan Kay does a fantastic job capturing the war-ravaged heart of Erik, giving him a horrible, loveless background but a deep-set humanity that surpasses all expectations. It is needless to say that I fell in love with this man for the beauty of his feelings, the innocence in his heart and the darkness that threatens to consume his soul. Every narrative moment is precious and truly captivating. I just finished reading it and I will definitely re-read it. Even if you're not a Phantom fan, this is an excellent book all on it's own. You too will fall under his spell and reach out for that strong hand that will creates the Music of the Night.

It was difficult for me to put the book down and I finished it quickly even though I had already seen the author interviewed on three different EWTN TV shows. What an inspiration to overcome evil with good! It reminded me of some of the miracle stories of prisoners of war in Vietnam. Her descriptions of the country and the events left me feeling like I had visited the country in person and gave me a much clearer understanding of the situation in Rwanda. Most important of all it is continuing to help me to forgive others (with God's help) in every circumstance.

Bobbie Lewis

This book was recommended by my doctor who is an avid reader. I was afraid to read it at first. I thought it might really make me sad because it is about the Rwandan Holocaust. It was totally amazing! The story is true and is one of the most inspiring I have ever encountered. Immaculee's faithfulness and her trust in God during the most painful of experiences gave my spiritual life a giant shot in the arm!
I could not put the book down-read it and grow in grace!

An amazing and harrowing tale of Faith, Hope and Forgiveness. A story of survival in the midst of unspeakable horror and acts of inhumanity beyond comprehension. I bought several copies to pass on. I would quantify this book as a must read.

Because of the book we went to Rwanda and to Kibuye. Rwanda has made a huge impression on us. For a lot of people Rwanda is only a synonymous for the 1994 genocide and still many believe it is a country unsafe to travel due to the war. But Rwanda is so much more. I will not dwell too much into a genocide discussion, as it is something that we foreigners can not understand in all painful details, though sometimes is so easy to judge. But Immaculee is trying to explain what happened and what Rwandan people have gone through.

I will definitely pass this book onto many.

I would definitely recommend this book to my friends. It is a true story of belief and trust in God living in extreme dark, difficult and frightenting times.